Now A&M seals our fate?

Texas expected to commit to Big 12 with hope of saving conference

The rumors of the death of the Big 12 may have been greatly exaggerated. Texas will commit to staying in the conference, according to Orangebloods.com.

School officials could announce their decision as early as Monday. The other nine teams remaining after the departure of Colorado and Nebraska could also stay to create a 10-team league.

The smaller league actually could be an incentive to stay. In a story by the Kansas City Star, the revenue from a new television contract being touted by commissioner Dan Beebe could produce "significantly more" than $17 million for each of the 10 remaining Big 12 schools.

In a concession to Texas, schools get an unequal distribution of television revenue and have the opportunity to develop its own network.

The lone question is whether Texas A&M will choose to keep its affiliation with the Big 12 or opt to join the SEC. That would be the final piece to saving the Big 12.

Should the Aggies leave the conference, then it is likely Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State would join the Pac-10.

"As (athletic director) Bill Byrne and I have said on several occasions, our desire was for the Big 12 Conference to continue," Texas A&M R. Bowen Loftin said in a statement Sunday evening. "With the departure of two universities from the conference last week, the Big 12 is certainly not what it was.

"We are aggressively exploring our options, one of which is for the Big 12 to continue in some form. We have also had extensive discussions with other conferences over the past two days. We continue to evaluate our options in a deliberate manner as we work toward a decision that is in the best long-term interests of Texas A&M."