Texas A&M: Selfish Aggies Will Regret Impending Jump to SEC

Escaping the shadow of the Texas Longhorns has officially driven Texas A&M from the Big 12.

Today the Aggies announced their intention to submit an application to join another athletic conference at the end of this scholastic year. Should it be accepted, they'd be free to join any conference they wish after June 30, 2012.

According to the press release, A&M president R. Bowen Loftin said in a letter to the Big 12:

"

After much thought and consideration, and pursuant to the action of the [Texas A&M University System] Board of Regents authorizing me to take action related to Texas A&M University's athletic conference alignment, I have determined it is in the best interest of Texas A&M to make application to join another athletic conference.

"

He went on to add:

"

We appreciate the Big 12's willingness to engage in a dialogue to end our relationship through a mutually agreeable settlement. We, too, desire that this process be as amicable and prompt as possible and result in a resolution of all outstanding issues, including mutual waivers by Texas A&M and the conference on behalf of all the remaining members.

"

This obviously means the talk for the SEC will ramp up once again.

Should A&M's request to leave the Big 12 be accepted, the SEC, who will almost assuredly bring in the want-away institution, will hear talk for a possible 14th team ramp-up once again.

As for the Aggies, they want nothing more than to be rid of their long-standing battle with the Longhorns. Unfortunately, as CNBC's Darren Rovell tweeted so perfectly, "Fact: The only way Texas A&M escapes U of Texas shadow is to move out of Texas."

Funny as it may be, it is the cold-hard truth.

A&M will now launch themselves into the best conference the country has to offer when it comes to football. The institution's move will affect all sports, but football will primarily have the heaviest impact.

A&M stands to make more money in the SEC, somewhere in the neighborhood of $5-7 million, but their chances of success are minimal.

This season marks the highest preseason ranking the Aggies have received since the year after their only Big 12 title. If they thought they had it rough in the Big 12 with Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Missouri, they have no idea what Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and the remaining SEC teams have in store for them.

One of A&M's biggest rivals in the old Southwest Conference days, Arkansas, has yet to win an SEC title since joining in 1992.

Winning isn't just everything, it is the only thing in college football. You have to look no further than the ridiculous scandals popping up across the country in major programs to see that.

The Aggies? They just took a dangerous step into a world where winning is extremely difficult.

They'll experience a boost in recruiting in certain areas, but they're also entering a conference that thrives on a different breed of athlete.

This move was essentially inevitable. Had the information not come out the day before the season kicks off, it would've the day the season ended.

Be careful what you wish for, Texas A&M; you just might get it.