Report: Mizzou Making Plans For SEC Move

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – The Florida Gators will have to prepare for a trip to Texas in the coming years after Texas A&M was admitted to the conference. The Gators may also head west to Columbia, Missouri if things fall into place.

The University of Missouri is expected to withdraw from the Big XII Conference and apply for membership in the SEC in the next week or two.

A recent report from the New York Times called Mizzou's move "inevitable and imminent."

Mizzou has already given Chancellor Brady Deaton permission to change the school's conference affiliation and the Mizzou Board of Curators will be meeting Thursday and Friday and will discuss conference affiliation.

According to Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long, a move to 14 teams or a decision sticking to 13 teams is "coming quickly," according to the Arkansas News.

Long also acknowledged that there a gentleman's agreement between the schools that the conference would not invite a school from a state that's already in the conference, according to the Arkansas News. That precludes Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Louisville.

But, the SEC won't invite Mizzou unless Mizzou is cleared to leave the Big 12 Conference without any threat of litigation. Plus, Alabama will only support adding Mizzou if the Tigers are moved to the Eastern Division.

Alabama doesn't want Auburn in the East because the Tigers would play once a year in Florida and gain a recruiting advantage.

Until all of that can be resolved, Mizzou is on the outside looking in. Still, Missouri will likely get an invitation to join the most prestigious conference in sports in the coming weeks.