[Arles]

This just hit ESPN's insider:

The Texas board of regents announced on Friday that it has called a special meeting for noon ET on Tuesday for "discussion and appropriate action regarding athletic conference membership." That would seem to suggest that a vote will be taken and an announcement subsequently made about Texas' future home.

The fact that a meeting was called suggests that the Big 12 probably is dead, since presumably no votes would have to be cast to maintain the status quo.

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By most accounts, Texas is not going to the SEC. And by most accounts, Texas has given up on the Big 12. Which means that two possible destinations remain: the Pac-10 and the Big Ten.

The Texas-based media, led by Chip Brown of OrangeBloods.com, have been focused on the Pac-10. Brown tweeted overnight: "I'm told Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are going to the Pac-10 with or without Texas A&M," and that the announcements are expected to come next week. He also tweeted: "There is no truth to reports that Texas and Texas A&M are considering the Big Ten," referring to the KCTV story.

However, other outlets report the Big Ten is focused on Texas or on Texas and Notre Dame, which suggests the Horns are at least considering the conference. (We previously told you about the San Antonio Express-News piece that detailed Texas' attempts to join the Big Ten in 1990, so it is not out of the question that the Longhorns might be interested.)

Blogger Frank the Tank, who does appear to have sources, writes, "My understanding is that Texas DOES want to join the Big Ten despite public posturing." He lays out three scenarios that the league is looking at: 1) add Texas and Notre Dame and stop at 14; 2) add UT, ND, Texas A&M and a fourth school (Missouri, Rutgers or Syracuse) to get to 16; 3) stop at 12 with Nebraska.

Billy Liucci of ESPN affiliate TexAgs.com tweeted: "A&M and OU to the SEC is picking up steam on the rumor mill and there might be some real smoke to that fire" and "...if it happens, it's going to be due in large part to the Big Ten making another hard run at Texas."

That said, Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, who has been on top of this from the Big Ten's perspective and continues to push a 14-team league with Notre Dame and Rutgers, writes: "It's worth repeating that it makes no sense for Texas to join the Big Ten -- from having to cough up travel costs for its 18 teams to destroying its rivalries with Oklahoma and Texas Tech to taking its highly ranked baseball team to a conference that's less than elite in that sport."

So much contrary information. But it should play out in a few more days.