Hello from Las Vegas. Yeah, we'll talk about that Monday.
Remember how, when last we spoke on this here blog, Texas A&M seemed mere moments away from setting off a new round of college football conference realignment by becoming the first SEC expansion since 1991? Yeah, that's not happening now: the SEC has opted to take no action on possible SEC expansion, meaning the Aggies are not headed to the SEC. Yet.
University of Florida president Bernie Machen issued a statement on behalf of the 12 SEC schools. That statement, via Andy Staples' Facebook page:
"The SEC Presidents and Chancellors met today and reaffirmed our satisfaction with the present 12 institutional alignment. We recognize, however, that future conditions may make it advantageous to expand the number of institutions in the league. We discussed criteria and process associated with expansion. No action was taken with respect to any institution including Texas A&M."
That's savvy, politically smart language. Saying "Nothing happened ... today, anyway" while also saying "But it could!" is the sort of sound bite that keeps the media fervor going and keeps the SEC's options open.
And, if nothing else, it shifts the optics of the potential A&M-to-the-SEC move from the Aggies wanting out of the Big 12 and whining their way into the SEC to the SEC ultimately making a decision on whether or not it wants to expand and/or add Texas A&M to its portfolio. It might not ultimately mean that this proposal is dead — there are still reportedly meetings scheduled for SEC athletic directors this week that might change things — but it certainly means that the SEC is in control of the situation.