2010–12 Southeastern Conference realignment

Moves that involved the SEC were a relatively small part of a much larger NCAA conference realignment that began in the 2010–11 academic year and continued through the first half of 2014.

[6] Though the SEC was not looking to expand (and in no danger of losing any existing members), it was rumored that several schools were interested in joining the conference.

(This was not the first time that A&M had been rumored as an SEC candidate; A&M had been considered for membership as far back as 1990, when Arkansas and South Carolina ultimately joined.

However, the threat of one or more of its members possibly joining the SEC in the future led the ACC to vote unanimously on September 13, 2011, to raise its exit fees to $20 million.

[10][11] As with the prior wave of realignment, the SEC had no issues with members seeking to leave and no concrete plans to expand.

Though the Big 12 made new rules to stop the high school telecasts (and the NCAA would ultimately declare that such broadcasts would be considered in violation of recruiting rules), on August 15, 2011, the A&M System Regents met in a special session to, among other matters, authorize "the president (R. Bowen Loftin) to take all actions relating to Texas A&M University's athletic conference alignment",[13] the first official step in A&M's long-rumored move to the SEC.

[16] In early September, the SEC issued a formal invitation to Texas A&M, but it was dependent on the Big 12 and its members releasing the conference from any liability with regard to the move.

[17] But the Big 12 Conference's press release also hinted at another departure – Missouri was not listed among the "expected" ten members for the 2012–13 school year.

[18] The hint turned out to be correct: nine days later, on November 6, 2011, the SEC officially announced that it had added Missouri as its 14th member.