On the night of Sept. 7, 2012, Texas A&M authorities hosted Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive for an extravagant supper in an on-campus reception hall. The occasion: the Aggies would play their first football video game as an SEC member the next day. I had actually accompanied Slive on this trip for an all-access story, but was politely kicked to the curb when it was time for him to dine with the A&M power brokers.When dinner had actually covered, I was ushered into the space to resume my project. The state of mind was celebratory, smiles were all over. A pair of cowboy boots with the SEC logo on them, a gift from A&M, sat at Slives feet. Bottles of wine were on the table. Lips were loosened up. Egos were stoked.One of the A&M officials made a pronouncement that articulated everything about the schools acrimonious parting with the Big 12 and desire for this new start in the SEC. “Fifty years from now,” the male stated, “we will be the controlling brand in this state.” Welp. Texas A&Ms control concerns have resurfaced.Texas A&M offensive lineman Kenyon Green takes questions during SEC Media Days.Gary Cosby Jr./ USA Today NetworkAfter less than a years apart, Texas– the cursed charred orange, the disliked Longhorns, the malignant conference partner– is poised to re-enter Texas A&Ms life and scuttle its 50-year strategy. The school that has constantly had one of the most clout and eminence in the Lone Star State has conspired with fellow Big 12 blueblood Oklahoma to seek entry into the SEC, a smash hit advancement that might change almost whatever in college athletics.Including the fate of their rivals from College Station. What a shocking possible reversal of fortune. What a repudiation of A&Ms power play. What a cautionary tale for universities that view everything through the lens of outperforming their rival.Starting fresh now looks like beginning over, in a plan the Aggies do not desire in the least. Absolutely nothing like getting separated, moving away, then having the new area welcome your ex to move in next door.On a festive 2012 night when the commissioner of the SEC went to Kyle Field and admired Midnight Yell practice, the future seemed limitless for the Aggies. Now, the next commissioner of the SEC– and the rest of the league– seems prepared to overlook their dreams and serve them a humbling reminder of their place in the college athletic hierarchy.The messages to that result are clear. SEC message No 1: We like you, Texas A&M, however we love the concept of Texas in our league.The Aggies have done what they can to slow the train that is prepared to run them over, refusing to let this stealth power play unfold behind closed doors. It appears extremely likely that the school leaked the preliminary bombshell to the Houston Chronicle, igniting a furor that has at least put all included parties in an awkward position. When the story broke, athletic director Ross Bjork was near all the microphones at SEC media days to voice A&Ms desire to remain the only Texas member of the league. Football coach Jimbo Fisher issued a caution: “Take care what you want if you jump in this league.” And former school president R. Bowen Loftin, who was in charge when A&M made its SEC move, declared that Texas signing up with the league would violate a “gentlemans agreement.” What a quaint principle: gentlemen and college athletics. How cute.Loftin mentioned an unofficial veto power for SEC East schools in regard to their in-state rivals from the Atlantic Coast Conference: Florida could block Florida State; South Carolina could obstruct Clemson; Georgia could obstruct Georgia Tech. When it comes to its state, he said that Slive extended that same latitude to A&M. However none of those ACC schools– not even Clemson– gives the table what Texas does. And A&Ms nine-year subscription in the SEC doesnt appear like near sufficient to have developed the clout to derail this prospective move.SEC message No. 2: Thank you for making your feelings known. We will now trample over them in pursuit of even more power and income. Youre on a need-to-know basis going forward.This is a reinforcement of who stays the controlling brand in Texas, even if its football program has done nothing to justify that status for more than a decade. Texas football presently is the abundant kid that keeps wrecking the family Ferraris, however it likewise is old money, huge cash, huge custom, huge fan base, huge market draw. If Texas knocks, every conference in the nation opens its door and informs everyone inside to make room. Harvey Schiller, who was SEC commissioner in the late 1980s, informed me there was chatter even then about adding the Longhorns and Sooners.Texas A&M remains in a better place than Texas in terms of program development today– and do not ignore the effect of the Aggies rise into the national leading 5 last fall on Tom Hermans job security in Austin. It is still the school with one football national title, in 1939, which hardly counts. For all of its institutional and fan self-importance, the historical resumé lags in the sport that matters. Jerome Miron/USA Today SportsTheyre attempting, practically painfully tough. They made the strong relocation to a brand-new league. They spent jaw-dropping amounts for massive center upgrades; for a $75 million fully ensured agreement for Fisher; for all the required expenses for assistance personnel and assistant wage pool.And then the return on investment started taking place. They went 9-1 last season, losing just to juggernaut Alabama, and a minimum of made the College Football Playoff selection committee squirm a bit in choosing on Notre Dame over Texas A&M for the fourth spot. All that work, all the development, all those steps towards ending up being the controlling brand name in Texas. Where is the love from our league? We are worthy of more respect than this.SEC message No. 3: OK, cool. Hook em. More College Football Coverage: – Texas and Oklahomas SEC Inquiry Stuns Texas A&M, Media Day – Where Does the Rest of the Big 12 Go From Here? – The Rose Bowl Throws a Wrench in College Footballs Playoff Expansion Plan – The SEC, NCAA and a Fight to Change College Sports

Texas A&Ms control concerns have resurfaced.Texas A&M offending lineman Kenyon Green takes questions throughout SEC Media Days.Gary Cosby Jr./ USA Today NetworkAfter less than a years apart, Texas– the cursed burnt orange, the disliked Longhorns, the cancerous conference partner– is poised to return to Texas A&Ms life and scuttle its 50-year plan. SEC message No 1: We like you, Texas A&M, however we enjoy the idea of Texas in our league.The Aggies have done what they can to slow the train that is prepared to run them over, declining to let this stealth power play unfold behind closed doors. When the story broke, athletic director Ross Bjork was near all the microphones at SEC media days to voice A&Ms desire to stay the only Texas member of the league. And previous school president R. Bowen Loftin, who was in charge when A&M made its SEC relocation, declared that Texas joining the league would breach a “gentlemans arrangement. More College Football Coverage: – Texas and Oklahomas SEC Inquiry Stuns Texas A&M, Media Day – Where Does the Rest of the Big 12 Go From Here?