▁S out he astern ▁Conference , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁considered ▁the ▁prior ▁year ▁during ▁real ignment ▁discuss ions ▁involving ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁and ▁the ▁Pac - 1 2 . ▁ ▁A & M ▁announced ▁on ▁August ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁leave ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁SE C , ▁but ▁the ▁inv itation ▁process ▁was ▁prolong ed ▁by ▁various ▁moves ▁by ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 , ▁which ▁fe ared ▁that ▁A & M ' s ▁departure ▁would ▁sc utt le ▁the ▁conference . ▁Most ▁not ably , ▁Bay lor ▁president ▁Ken ▁St arr ▁threatened ▁legal ▁action ▁if ▁the ▁SE C ▁invited ▁A & M . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁September , ▁the ▁SE C ▁issued ▁a ▁formal ▁inv itation ▁to ▁Texas ▁A & M , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁dependent ▁on ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁and ▁its ▁members ▁dro pping ▁any ▁potential ▁law su its ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁move . ▁The ▁SE C ▁inv itation ▁was ▁not ▁final ▁until ▁September ▁ 2 5 . ▁By ▁this ▁time , ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁was ▁already ▁purs uing ▁T C U ▁as ▁a ▁replacement ▁for ▁Texas ▁A & M . ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁conference ▁announced ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁invited ▁T C U , ▁with ▁the ▁school ' s ▁accept ance ▁coming ▁four ▁days ▁later . ▁The ▁Horn ed ▁Fro gs ▁would ▁join ▁the ▁Big