Baylor is standing between Texas A&M and the SEC.
The SEC presidents voted unanimously to allow the Big 12 school to become the league’s 13th program, but Baylor is threatening legal action to oppose the move.
“We were notified yesterday afternoon that at least one Big 12 institution had withdrawn its previous consent and was considering legal action,” University of Florida president and SEC chairman Dr. Bernie Machen said in a statement released Wednesday. “The SEC has stated that to consider an institution for membership, there must be no contractual hindrances to its departure. “
According to reports, a planned celebration and news conference on Wednesday at Texas A&M were put on hold.
Meantime, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is saying Texas and Oklahoma wouldn’t necessarily have to continue their rivalry if the Sooners move to the Pac-12 and Texas does not.
“I don’t think it’s necessary” to continue playing, Stoops said Tuesday during his weekly news conference, according to ESPN.com. “No one wants to hear that, but life changes. If it changes, you have to change with it, to whatever degree.”
He added: “If it works, great, I love the game. But if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Sometimes that’s the way it goes.
“I’m not lobbying for anything. I’ll stick to whatever [Oklahoma] president [David] Boren and [athletic director] Joe Castiglione feel is best for the university. I’m all in.”
Stoops also said Oklahoma didn’t need to play games in Texas in order to recruit effectively there.
“I think proximity in recruiting matters the most,” Stoops said. “We’ve always recruited heavier and stronger more north in Texas than in the South.”
