First of all, it is important to note that Texas A&M going to the SEC does not necessarily kill the Pac 10 deal. The Pac 10 would simply replace Texas A&M's invitation with Utah, a deal that would still be appealing financially while allowing Texas and Oklahoma to be in the same conference. At the same time, it should also be noted that by losing Texas A&M for Utah, the difference financially between the Big Ten and Pac 10 grows, and Texas' incentive to go to the Pac 10 to maintain traditional rivalries drops. Meanwhile, should Texas A&M be able to move to the SEC, it could well signify that the Texas legislature does not intend to intervene too much in conference realignment.

Also important is that Oklahoma and the SEC have a mutual interest as well, and it seems likely that if Oklahoma manages to dissociate from Oklahoma State, then they will join the SEC. Should Oklahoma manage to do this, then the Pac 10 invitation to Oklahoma State would almost certainly be revoked, as Oklahoma State does not bring in anything close to the amount of money as Oklahoma would.

This all leaves Texas in an interesting position. Texas could still easily go to the Pac 10, but recent events have made it somewhat more likely that the Big Ten would be a viable option from a political standpoint. And if the Big Ten is politically viable, then it is quite likely that Texas will go there, as the Big Ten has a superior financial situation and the academic benefits of the CIC. And if Texas goes to the Big Ten, this greatly increases the chances that the Big Ten could get Notre Dame. And as I have stated previously, this is likely the best case scenario for the Big Ten. In fact, it would not be surprising if the Big Ten and SEC were working together to destabilize Pac 10 expansion, as it would allow both conferences to profit as the SEC would almost certainly get Texas A&M and Oklahoma, while the Big Ten would get Texas, rather than let those three schools go to the Pac 10.

*It should be noted that, as a writer for Texas' Rivals site and the Texas beat writer for the Dallas Morning News, Brown's sources are most likely coming from Texas and not Texas A&M. As such, these reports may well be secondhand and not necessarily accurate. Nevertheless, he's been much more accurate than most on this topic and deserves the benefit of the doubt.