Jason Cook on Sumlin's future, Texas AD job, SEC Network

Key quotes from Jason Cook Interview:

"It was flattering to be listed as a candidate for the Texas AD job. It tells me the people in Austin have taken notice of us."

"There are a lot of agendas involved in choosing a new AD anywhere. 9 times out of 10 the media is being played by someone."

"When I talked to Loftin about moving to athletics, I told him that's where I felt I would have the biggest impact for A&M."

"I'm back where I want to be, in athletics, from a career standpoint. I'm learning a lot from Hyman right now."

"There is a lot of change going on in college athletics right now and it will be interesting to see how things evolve."

"I'm very committed to the amateurism model that college athletics presents. This is not professional sports."

"Over the past three years, we haven't been able to get off the national news. I wouldn't trade that position with anyone."

"In Texas, we still deal with a lot of old perceptions of who we are. In the SEC, we've told our story how we want it told."

"Anytime A&M plays on TV, we are leading our time slot and we're having significant increases in ratings from 2012."

"Against Rice, the game opened with 3.6M watching. Once Manziel came in during the second half, 1.5M more tuned in."

"The Alabama game was the highest rated CBS day-game in 23 years."

"Austin has quickly become an SEC TV market. Every other TV in Austin was watching the Alabama game."

"The SMU game was the highest rated ESPNU game of the season. Arkansas pulled in about 3M viewers as well."

"We've proved the doubters wrong. There IS significant value in Texas A&M as it deals with TV audiences."

"You're going to start seeing a lot of things about the SEC Network coming soon. They are really wanting to engage the fans."

"6 of the top-10 bowl games last year involved SEC teams. There is a reason AT&T Uverse signed up day one for the SEC Network."

"We are investing $11.8 million into production facilities to better facilitate the SEC Network."

"On Tuesday we held a networking seminar for our senior athletes. We're trying to prepare our athletes for life after sports."

"This is a rare weekend where we don't have any events going on in Aggieland. Football is off and everyone else in on the road."

"We're doing some things to enhance the basketball game experience. We feel the atmosphere has gotten a little stale."

"I think I could go an entire month with solely maroon ties. It's nothing like Loftin's bow-tie collection, however."

"If I was the Texas AD, I would try to get back to playing A&M because it would be the only way to level the playing field."

"The Lohman Lobby of the Bright Complex is open during normal office hours on non-game days. Come by and see it!"

"A&M has made a commitment to fielding a NC caliber football team. No other program is making this level of commitment."

"We're still behind the gun from a scheduling standpoint. We're still being hurt by the conference transition."

"We're talking with one program right now that everyone is familiar with. Hopefully we can go public with that soon."

"We're growing the grass for the 2014 and 2015 Kyle Field. We're an agricultural school, obviously we will have natural grass."