Auburn To Become SEC East Member?

Tentative plan for Mizzou to join SEC, Auburn would move to East, sources say

Published: Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 5:14 PM

By The Birmingham News

The Southeastern Conference and the University of Missouri have informally agreed that, barring new developments, the school will join the league and that Auburn University will move to the SEC East Division, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

A majority of presidents has endorsed the informal agreement, the sources said.

The league already plans to add Texas A&M as its 13th member, provided potential legal challenges from some remaining Big 12 members disappear. Missouri, also a member of the Big 12, would be the 14th member of the SEC.

Because both of those schools are located to the western side of the SEC's basic footprint, that prompted discussions of moving a current West Division school to the East Division. Auburn is the easternmost school in the West Division. A third person familiar with the discussions confirmed that Auburn would move to the East if Missouri joins the league.

A timetable for when Missouri would join the SEC, if the informal agreement becomes official, was not immediately known.

On Monday, the boards of regents of two big-name Big 12 schools, Texas and Oklahoma, authorized their presidents to explore new conferences. Oklahoma's president said it is considering the Pac-12, as might Texas. The presidents of both schools have said remaining in the Big 12 remains an option.