Will Texas A&M Join in the SEC? If It Does, Will ACC Teams Follow? - The Latest on Conference Realignment

I have a busy day Monday, so this will have to serve as your conference expansion update for a while. Of course, this means I'll probably miss Virginia Tech, Texas and Notre Dame announcing that they're all dropping football and joining the Southland Conference or something.

Bullets, because I'm starving and want to go eat dinner.

• Earlier today we mentioned that Dan Beebe was trying to save the Big 12 with a new TV contract that would give each member $17m/year. At the same time, ESPN reported the SEC was close to giving up on its dream of adding Oklahoma and Texas. The same source told ESPN it would be hard for the conference to pry VT away from Virginia.
• That goes along with something Jim from The A-Line said yesterday: That Virginia Tech wouldn't leave the ACC unless its research partners do, too. While many fans think of expansion in terms of how good football teams were last year, guys like Jim realize there is a lot more that goes into it. When Nebraska joined the Big Ten, its decision-makers said it was in large part because of the research partnerships involved. Jim's a guy I trust, so when he says academics will play a major part in what decision the Hokies will make if invited to the SEC, I believe him.
• Sambo from Block-C feels that academics will play a part in any potential decision from Clemson as well. You can pretty much replace "Clemson" with "Virginia Tech" in this quote: "In summary, the only reasons Clemson should join the SEC is more money and to stroke the fans' egos. Yet, staying in the ACC would mean a better chance of Clemson putting a consistent winner on the field. What do you guys think? Is it worth it?"

• Why should we even be discussing a potential move to the SEC? Because according to Rivals' Texas A&M site, the Aggies have an invitation from that conference and have decided to take it. However, unlike everything Chip Brown has been writing on the subject for Rivals' Texas site, this story is behind a paywall.
• We probably won't know anything until Tuesday when the Texas Board of Regents is expected to vote on what conference is best for the Longhorns. That would really set the ball in motion and force Texas A&M to give a final answer soon. But according SI's Andy Staples, the Texas legislature is having its own conference expansion meeting Wednesday and has told both that making a final decision before then "would not be wise."
• If the Aggies are SEC-bound, the conference would surely add at least a 14th team. Would that team come from the ACC to make it an even seven teams in both divisions? Would the conference go for a full five-team raid of the ACC to get to 16? It's all conjecture at this point and will remain so until Texas A&M and/or the SEC make a decision next week.
• With what I've read the last couple weeks and taking into account what Jim said yesterday, I still believe the only way the Hokies end up in the SEC is if that conference decides to take four to five teams from the ACC to expand to 16.