Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.
UT ain't going anywhere without A&M. If you told me they were BOTH going to the Big 10, I might believe it.
UT has long term rivalries with A&M, which is almost love-hate, and of course, the Red River Shootout with Oklahoma. They've also had rivalries with some of the other schools, like Tech and Baylor forever, but I could see these being broken more easily.
There's also the fact that Texas politics would come into play in any conference realignment. Ann Richards blocked Texas and A&M going into the Big 12 until Baylor got the nod over TCU to enter the conference.
Rick Perry is an Aggie. Unless the Big 10(11) can accommodate two teams, Texas isn't going anywhere.
You might be overlooking the fact that for a decade, the Big Ten had a “Texas” team in Iowa City.