When he walks the concourse at Texas A&M’s football stadium, Athletic Director Ross Bjork sees a field of dreams.

"It really gives you goosebumps, thinking about what’s going to happen," he says.

Bjork envisions more than 100,000 screaming fans making Kyle Field shake as the Aggies host their first ever college football playoff game.

"People have no idea the magnitude of that," he says, "from restaurants to hotels…"

As he trails off, Bjork is reminded of the immediate reality, and unrelenting questions from from students, fans and boosters.

"They’ve invested," Bjork says. "And they’ve been wondering why? Why hasn’t this worked?"

The "this" in question is a major university with access to the most fertile recruiting ground in the country. Playing in the most successful conference in college football, the SEC. Being financially backed by the 12th Man Foundation, which has well over half a billion dollars in commitments to the athletic department.

"The expectation is we should be competing for a national championship," Bjork says. "That should be the goal. Can we win it every year? No one can. But let’s at least be in the conversation."

But with only two 10-win football seasons in the past 20 years, the Aggies haven’t even been the subject of small talk. Which is ultimately what got its head coach Jimbo Fisher fired earlier this month.

"It was my decision, my recommendation," Bjork says. "President [Mark] Walsh agreed. You take that to Chancellor [John] Sharp. He agreed."

That trio did so knowing A&M will owe Fisher $76 million for the remainder of his famously guaranteed contract.

Ask Bjork how the university can afford that record buyout, and he's adamant about not asking boosters to pay off someone they fired.

"I don’t believe it’s really prudent to go to a donor and ask them to buy a coach out of his contract," he says.

FULL STORY: https://www.wfaa.com/article/sports/f...