It's Official: Texas A&M To Join SEC in 2012

The expected became official Sunday when the Southeastern Conference announced that Texas A&M would become its 13th member in the 2012-13 academic year.

The College Station, Texas, school apparently will compete in the SEC West, giving the league an unbalanced setup. It's the first expansion for the SEC since 1991, when South Carolina and Arkansas came on board. The move had been delayed by legal obstacles.

Last season, the Aggies won three NCAA  team titles (men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, women’s basketball) and finished eighth in the prestigious Learfield Sports Director’s Cup all-sport rankings, the SEC office said in a news release.

Also, the move opens up new major television markets to the SEC, such as Dallas and Houston. 

“Well, if they’re joining us, you’d think there would be at least another one joining somewhere along the way,” Mark Richt, Georgia’s football coach, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Influential college football journalist Tony Barnhart, who does commentary for CBS-TV and cbssports.com, said he thinks the SEC will be a 13-team league for one year "to get the 14th team that they really want."

Speculation has centered on ACC member Virginia Tech as a 14th team; the Hokies are a strong program with a large fan base. However, AD Jim Weaver denied any interest in the SEC in a published report.

Another report said that the SEC would like to add Big East member Louisville, but that Kentucky is using its veto power to prevent that move.

Suwanee Patch Editor Steve Burns contributed to this article.