<P> In July 2011, the Texas A&M Board of Regents met to discuss the long - term impact of the Longhorn Network, a new TV channel devoted to Texas Longhorns sports that was set to launch a month later . Shortly before the meeting, an official of ESPN, partners with Texas in the network, gave a radio interview in which he strongly hinted that the network would also televise high school games of potential Longhorns recruits . (Texas operates the University Interscholastic League (UIL), the governing body for public school athletics in the state .) </P> <P> According to Sports Illustrated writer Andy Staples, the Longhorn Network broadcasting high school games (to the potential benefit of Texas and the detriment of the conference's other Texas - based schools) "was too much (for A&M) to bear ." Though the Big 12 made new rules to stop the high school telecasts (and the NCAA would ultimately declare that such broadcasts would be considered in violation of recruiting rules), the Regents decided to pursue an invitation to the Southeastern Conference, which had been considered the prior year during realignment discussions involving the Big 12 and the Pac - 12 . </P> <P> A&M announced on August 31, 2011 that it would leave the Big 12 in June 2012 to join the SEC, but the invitation process was prolonged by various moves by the Big 12, which feared that A&M's departure would scuttle the conference . Most notably, Baylor president Ken Starr threatened legal action if the SEC invited A&M . In early September, the SEC issued a formal invitation to Texas A&M, but it was dependent on the Big 12 and its members dropping any potential lawsuits related to the move . The SEC invitation was not final until September 25 . By this time, the Big 12 was already pursuing TCU as a replacement for Texas A&M . </P> <P> On October 6, 2011, the conference announced that it had invited TCU, with the school's acceptance coming four days later . The Horned Frogs would join the Big 12 on July 1, 2012 . </P>

When did texas a&m leave the big 12
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