Texas A&M is set to join Southeastern Conference, the league has said, possibly signaling legal hurdles have been cleared for the Aggies to leave the Big 12. The SEC announced the move will be effective next July, and said Texas A&M will participate in all sports during the 2012-13 academic year. That gives the SEC 13 members and its first addition since South Carolina and Arkansas in 1992. The Aggies' defection from the Big 12 had been held up by the possibility of legal action from Baylor and other members. The statement released by the SEC did not mention that situation, and spokesman Charles Bloom said he could not comment. A Big 12 administrator said neither the SEC nor Texas A&M have asked any of the Big 12 schools to waive their right to sue. The person spoke Sunday night on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. SEC presidents and chancellors voted in favor of the move on Sept. 6. “We are excited to begin competition in the nation's premier athletic conference,” Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin said in the statement. It's unclear if the SEC will add a 14th member for next season or go with unbalanced divisions. Rumored possibilities include the Big 12's Missouri and West Virginia of the Big East. Texas A&M initiated the courtship in July, unhappy with rival Texas' Longhorn Network, and sparked another tumultuous period for the Big 12. The Aggies, who play Arkansas Saturday, give the SEC entry into major TV markets such as Houston and Dallas. “Texas A&M is a nationally prominent institution on and off the field and a great fit for the SEC tradition of excellence — athletically, academically and culturally,” Commissioner Mike Slive said in the statement. Slive, Loftin and others will hold a news conference Monday evening in College Station, Texas. Four Big 12 teams — Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State — had explored moving to the Pac-12, which decided not to expand this year. Oklahoma President David Boren said the nine remaining schools besides Texas A&M agreed last week to give a six-year grant of their first- and second-tier television rights to the Big 12. That means all revenue from the top television games — shown currently on networks owned by ABC/ESPN and Fox — would continue to go to the Big 12 even if a school bolts to another league. That deal, however, had not been finalized.
