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Texas A&M joined the SEC 5 Years Ago

By Matthew Bartlett

COLUMBIA, MO - SEPTEMBER 15: An SEC sign sits atop a yardage marker during the game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 15, 2012 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, MO - SEPTEMBER 15: An SEC sign sits atop a yardage marker during the game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 15, 2012 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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July 1, 2012. The day that Texas A&M officially became a member of the Southeastern Conference. Happy anniversary Aggies!

The decision to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC was only of the greatest decisions in the history of Texas A&M University. That’s not hyperbole either. The Aggies fit in with the rich history and tradition of the SEC and they came to play ball.

The competition didn’t get easier when Texas A&M switched conferences. The Big 12 still has the edge on the hardwood, but the SEC is arguably even, and in many cases tougher, in every other sport. To use an overused catchphrase, it just means more. Changing conferences meant more money, more prestige and an elevated exposure for Texas A&M.

Texas A&M has won 13 outright conference titles (and seven tournament titles, designated-T) since joining the SEC in 2012:

SEC Championships

  • Baseball: 2016-T
  • Basketball: 2016
  • Soccer: 2013, 2013-T, 2014, 2014-T
  • Men’s Tennis: 2014-T, 2015, 2015-T, 2017
  • Women’s Golf: 2015
  • Women’s Swimming and Diving: 2016, 2017
  • Women’s Basketball: 2013-T
  • Women’s Tennis: 2013, 2013-T
  • Women’s Outdoor Track and Field: 2013
  • Men’s Outdoor Track and Field: 2014, 2017
  • Volleyball: 2015

Success hasn’t stopped there. The Aggies have claimed two national titles since 2012:

National Championships

  • Equestrian: 2017
  • Men’s Indoor Track and Field: 2017

The most notable omission? Football. All of those other titles are nice, but football is king in the South. The Aggies came one game shy in their inaugural season and haven’t been in the hunt in November since. That’s disappointing, but it’s not worth dismissing the success that the Aggies have found in the SEC.

Next: 14 most likely SEC expansion candidates

Five years later the Aggies have proven that they belong in the SEC. It hasn’t been an easy road, but they’ve certainly measured up against some of the best athletic competition in the nation. It’s been a great five years and I’m looking forward to many more to come.

***Aggie Athletics***