Mike Slive could still get outmaneuvered by Dan Beebe and Ken Starr. I never thought those words would come out of my mouth.
After receiving unanimous written assurance from the Big 12 on September 2 that the Southeastern Conference was free to accept Texas A&M to join as a new member, the presidents and chancellors of the SEC met last night with the intention of accepting the application of Texas A&M to be the newest member of the SEC. We were notified yesterday afternoon that at least one Big 12 institution had withdrawn its previous consent and was considering legal action. The SEC has stated that to consider an institution for membership, there must be no contractual hindrances to its departure. The SEC voted unanimously to accept Texas A&M University as a member upon receiving acceptable reconfirmation that the Big 12 and its members have reaffirmed the letter dated September 2, 2011.
In other words, the SEC is allowing Baylor (and Iowa State, if it wants to) to decide whether or not Texas A&M can join the SEC. Whether or not you think that conference expansion is the right idea, letting a school that's not a member of your conference decide who can be a member of your conference is about the dumbest thing you can do. The SEC presidents are trying to be polite in the middle of a multibillion-dollar knife fight. This generally does not turn out well.
If the SEC presidents didn't want to invite Baylor Texas A&M (this has been a long story to cover), they shouldn't have allowed Mike Slive to string the Aggies along this far. Doing it this way is far worse, and is going to make it harder to get team No. 14 if it comes to that. The SEC, once known for its savvy business reputation, is today marked by incompetence because Baylor is pitching what we in SEC country know as a hissy fit.
This is the kind of thing that Dan Beebe and the Big 12 pull. And look where that has gotten them.