aTm - Not so fast

[Sid]

Decision Not Sitting Well With Texas A&M Fans
By David Sandhop
Aggie Websider Publisher
Posted Jun 17, 2010

http://tamu.scout.com/2/978071.html

Since the announcement was released Monday evening, a firestorm of anger and criticism over the decision to stay in the modified Big 12 erupted from Texas A&M students, former students, and fans onto Loftin’s Facebook page, Internet sports information networks like Scout.com, and social networking web sites where fans and supporters congregate.

More importantly for Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne and the 12th Man Foundation which is the fund raising arm of the athletic department, a significant group of donors have vehemently condemned the move and have threatened to cancel season tickets and remove sizeable pledges to fund upcoming capital projects including the planned multi-million dollar renovation of its baseball stadium that is scheduled to begin in the next seven months.

:clap Two can play that game.

That left Texas A&M fans and stakeholders stunned and furious. They felt betrayed that university officials were lured to stay in a watered-down Big 12 Conference because of short term TV dollars. Hundreds of angry messages immediately flooded Loftin’s Facebook page and a call-to-arms began among the rank-and-file fan base and most importantly the school’s large donors.

This revolt could culminate this weekend. In an ironic twist to this story, Texas A&M had previously scheduled its annual athletics advisory council meetings in Austin for what is typically a comfortable handshake affair where the school’s top donors are wined-and-dined and given a state-of-the-union update from A&M officials. Byrne and Loftin are still on the agenda to speak, but there’s no question that there will be few handshakes and many uncomfortable moments as a vocal segment of the donor group plans to make a last-ditch plea to resurrect the SEC plan and put pressure on officials to listen to its customers. Several recent large on-line polls favor joining the SEC by a an overwhelming 85-90% mark.

Despite the overwhelming disdain for this Big 12 proposal (that has yet to receive guarantees from TV executives on the $20 million of revenues promised by Commissioner Dan Beebe) and the threats of donors pulling the plug on valuable funding, there’s been little evidence so far that A&M officials are reconsidering this controversial decision. So all eyes are on Saturday’s meeting and whether a face-to-face meeting with angry donors will sway Monday‘s decision.

 

[r2b1]

In an ironic twist to this story, Texas A&M had previously scheduled its annual athletics advisory council meetings in Austin

haha - what the h*** are they doing meeting in Austin?!?!?!?!

 

[MsProudSooner]

haha - what the h*** are they doing meeting in Austin?!?!?!?!

They're aggies.

 

[OklahomaLibertarian]

Hey I have an old mop.. if A&M doesnt work out, maybe it can be added to the big 12?