Texas A&M President Given Decision-Making Power On Realignment

Gerald Goodridge, News9.com

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- By a unanimous vote in a special meeting of the Texas A&M board of regents Monday, university president R. Bowen Loftin was given the power to take any action on conference realignment in the future.

The meeting was scheduled a week ago as the Aggies made aggressive moves to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, a move that could happen as early as the 2012 football season. Loftin now has the power to change the university's conference alignment, seemingly in an effort to make any move a quicker decision for Texas A&M.

The SEC Chancellors and Presidents met Sunday and released a statement saying that no expansion action would be taken currently, but "that future conditions may make it advantageous to expand the number of institutions in the league."

As the Aggies attempted to switch conferences, the Texas House Committee on Higher Education called a special meeting to discuss the school's attempt to change conferences. However, the meeting was canceled Monday afternoon in light of the SEC's decision.