Report says Texas, Oklahoma are talking about jumping from Big 12 to the SEC. Why now?
The college realignment rumor mill had been pretty quiet ... until Wednesday.
An afternoon report by the Houston Chronicle said Big 12 members Texas and Oklahoma have inquired about joining the Southeastern Conference.
Denials issued by the two parties didn’t exactly slam the door shut on the issue. From Texas: “Speculation swirls around collegiate athletics. We will not address rumors and speculation.”
And from Oklahoma: “The college athletics landscape is shifting constantly. We don’t address every anonymous rumor.”
It was a similar story Wednesday at the SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama, where SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he wouldn’t comment on speculation.
The Big 12 has been down this road before. In 2011, the Pac-12 had its eyes on six Big 12 schools: Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado. Only Colorado left for the Pac-12 from that group. But later that week, Nebraska announced it was leaving for the Big Ten.
A year later, Missouri and Texas A&M departed for the SEC, and the Big 12 added TCU and West Virginia.
A new television contract with more equitable revenue distribution helped save the Big 12 then. As part of that arrangement, schools controlled the revenue for their third-tier broadcast rights. That meant Texas would receive $15 million annually from ESPN for the Longhorn Network.
It seems unlikely the Longhorn Network could follow Texas into the SEC.
Current TV contracts could complicate realignment now. The Big 12 grant of rights includes a clause intended to keep teams from moving. Should a team leave before the end of the 2024-25 school year, those media rights would remain with the Big 12, and not be given to the departing member’s new conference.
The loss of bell cows Texas and Oklahoma would leave the Big 12 in a diminished position. Another set of rumors, with the conference’s remaining teams looking for new homes in other leagues, would no doubt follow — that’s what happened more than a decade ago.
Changes across the college sports landscape since then would complicate a major realignment. Name, image and likeness rules no enable college athletes to gain revenue. College football is likely to expand its playoffs to a 12-team format in coming years.
The SEC just signed a new deal with ESPN. Adding two more teams would mean revenues would be split 16 ways instead of 14.
Do current SEC schools want Texas and Oklahoma? Texas A&M is on record saying no.
“We want to be the only SEC team from the state of Texas,” Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork said Wednesday. “There’s a reason why Texas A&M left the Big 12: to stand alone and have our own identity.”
According to SEC bylaws “a vote of at least three-fourths of the members is required to extend an invitation for membership.” That means 11 of the 14 current members would have to vote yes to add a new member.
Also worth considering: What’s the advantage of adding Texas and Oklahoma to a conference already featuring a national power like Alabama?
Oklahoma State, which could be tied legislatively to Oklahoma in a conference move, issued this statement later Wednesday:
“We have heard unconfirmed reports that OU and UT approached Southeastern Conference officials about joining the SEC. We are gathering information and will monitor closely. If true, we would be gravely disappointed.
“While we place a premium on history, loyalty and trust, be assured, we will aggressively defend and advance what is best for Oklahoma State and our strong athletic program, which continues to excel in the Big 12 and nationally.”
A week ago, at Big 12 Media Days, Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said the motivation for realignment wasn’t the same as it was in 2011 and 2012.
“You have to remember, the last time around, the last round of conference realignment was all driven by cable households,” Bowlsby said. “And we find ourselves now in a rapidly shrinking cable environment...That motivation is essentially gone.”
What might not be gone, however, is the desire by Oklahoma and Texas to compete in the most successful college football conference.
This story was originally published July 21, 2021 at 7:08 PM with the headline "Report says Texas, Oklahoma are talking about jumping from Big 12 to the SEC. Why now?."