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A high-level source close to the situation told Horns247 on Monday, “A lot will happen this week” in Texas and in Oklahoma’s bid to join the Southeastern Conference.
Now that Texas and Oklahoma have informed the Big 12 that they will not be renewing their league rights when those rights expire in 2025, the next step is for Texas and the OU to formally apply for admission to the league. the SEC.
Expect Texas and the OU to officially apply for SEC admission – effective June 30, 2025 – within the next 48 hours, the source said.
SEC chairmen are due to meet on Thursday, and it is possible that a vote on admitting Texas and Oklahoma as the 15th and 16th members of the SEC will come then, the source said.
For the SEC to approve the expansion, 11 of 14 schools must vote in favor, which should happen, the source said.
Texas A&M regents met Monday night with an agenda that included a “discussion of contractual and governance issues relating to Texas A&M University and the Southeastern Conference”. Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said last week that Texas A&M wanted to be the only Texas state school in the SEC. But TexAgs.com’s Billy Liucci reported on Monday that the meeting was not to produce any fireworks because “cooler heads have prevailed, it seems.”
USA Today reported in an analysis Monday that adding Texas and Oklahoma to create a 16-team SEC could create $ 1.3 billion in revenue for the SEC’s fiscal year 2024-25, up from $ 729 million. in total revenue dollars reported by the SEC for its 2019-20 fiscal year.
Everyone wants to know if Texas and Oklahoma could possibly join the SEC before 2025.
Currently, the Big 12 statutes state that Texas and Oklahoma should pay two years of distribution of income (approximately $ 80 million each) to the Big 12 and should hand over any distribution of income from their new conference until 2025, unless a settlement can be reached.
The Big 12 regulations also require 18 months notice for schools leaving the conference, meaning Texas and the OU could join the SEC no earlier than June 30, 2023 – again, unless a settlement agreement is reached or the Big 12 disband.
If the remaining Big 12 schools found new conference homes and the Big 12 disbanded, then Texas and Oklahoma would be free to join the SEC immediately.
But so far, Big 12 statements have indicated that the remaining eight schools will be working together to try to figure things out.
New Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff told ESPN last week that if the Big 12 schools contacted him about possibly merging with the Pac-12, his league would listen.
IN CASE YOU MISS IT: Tune in to Thursday’s Emergency Podcast for more details on all of the events that led Texas and Oklahoma to leave the Big 12 Conference.
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“Although our eight members are disappointed with the decisions of these two institutions, we recognize that intercollegiate athletics is undergoing rapid changes and will most likely be very different in 2025 from what it is now,” said the Big 12 commissioner. , Bob Bowlsby. “The Big 12 conference will continue to support the efforts of our member institutions to earn student-athlete degrees and compete for the Big 12 and NCAA Championships.
“Like many others, we will use the next four years to fully assess what the landscape will look like in 2025 and beyond. The remaining eight institutions will work together collaboratively to thoughtfully and strategically position the Big 12 conference for continued success, both athletically and academically, for the long term. “
Sources told Horns247 that Texas leaders, including UT President Jay Hartzell and Texas Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife, met with OU President Joseph Harroz and OU officials. a year ago to talk about the changing landscape of varsity athletics, and six months ago intermediaries reached out to SEC officials about Texas and the possible SEC membership.
Oddly enough, former Oklahoma President David Boren on various occasions over the past decade has engaged the SEC about the possibility of the Sooners joining the SEC, and the answer has been: not without Texas. . Now, under Harroz, Oklahoma will have Texas as part of the overall deal the SEC was looking for.
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