SEC Expansion: Will the SEC Add a 14th Team After Texas A&M?

At some point in the near future, Texas A&M is going to make the trek from the Big 12 to the SEC.

Yes, there are some legal strings still attached to the Aggies at present, and some institutions (ahem, Baylor) aren't ready to let go of them quite yet, but it does seem to be a foregone conclusion that Texas A&M will be a member of the SEC.

On Monday, SEC commissioner Mike Slive made it clear that this is what he expects. In a news conference, he said (via SECDigitalNetwork.com) the conference is "optimistic" that Texas A&M will be its 13th member before long. He also said that the conference has already started looking at scheduling for next season in the event that the conference does grow to 13 teams.

Slive also dropped another interesting nugget:

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When Texas A&M joins our conference, we don't have immediate plans for a 14th member. We aren’t thinking in terms of numbers. We think about the strength of the SEC and the attractiveness of Texas A&M as an institution.

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If the SEC is not thinking of adding a 14th team, it's abundantly clear that the conference is indeed not thinking about numbers. Having 13 teams would mean seven teams in one division and six in the other. It will work, but I think we can all agree that it would at least be a little awkward.

Because of that, the natural question is whether or not the SEC would ever reconsider. After all, just because the conference doesn't have plans for further expansion now doesn't mean it won't have them later.

Especially when you consider how the conference became interested in Texas A&M in the first place. Slive said the SEC wasn't looking to expand until Texas A&M came calling. At that point, "it was impossible not to be interested."

As for what convinced them, Slive said it was the fact Texas A&M is an "outstanding academic institution with an exceptional athletic program, passionate fans and wonderful traditions."

There are plenty of other schools out there that fit that criteria. No doubt some of them would like nothing more than to be welcomed into the strongest athletic conference in the country. Maybe all they need to do is ask.

Admittedly, I'm just throwing the idea out there. But while I don't think it's fair to say that the SEC will go out and add another school just to fill out its ranks to a nice, even number, I do think that would be a good excuse.

Either way, the truth at this point is that the SEC can do whatever it wants to do. It's good to be the king of college athletics.