The founding members of the Big 12 Conference have completed step one in parting ways.
RELATED: Texas and Oklahoma to inform Big 12 of plan to join SEC next week
According to Brett McMurphy of Stadium, Texas and Oklahoma informed Big 12 officials on Monday that they will not remain with the conference after the grants of media rights expire in 2025. Last week, a major conversation hit social media about the Longhorns and Sooners wanting to move out of the Big 12.
With the officials being notified, both schools can either stay in the conference until after 2025 or make a move sooner. The idea for Texas and Oklahoma is to join the Southeastern Conference.
Oklahoma & Texas make it official: they’re leaving conference & expected to apply for SEC membership pic.twitter.com/65h35M18OF
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 26, 2021
Both would have to make a pitch toward Commissioner Greg Sankey; however, Matt Hayes of Stadium and Saturday Down South sees both schools in the SEC by 2022. Per an SEC source, Hayes has been told that next year is the earliest he can see Texas and Oklahoma in the SEC. If it happens, both schools would have to pay between $75 to $80 million of contractual revenue.
The first part of the business is handled, but it will be interesting to see what happens next.
#SEC source: “The expectation” is for Texas and OU to play in SEC in 2022.
Last expansion:
— Texas A&M invited Sept 2011.
— Missouri invited November 2011
— Both played in SEC in 2012. https://t.co/uAp4P3V1hA— Matt Hayes (@MattHayesCFB) July 26, 2021
Texas and Oklahoma can truly end up in the SEC, making it have the first super conference in college football.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
