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With the expansion of college football playoffs on the horizon and the radical change in the sport as a whole, another round of conference realignment may be on the horizon. Texas and Oklahoma would have “reached out” to the SEC to join the league if the two Great Powers of the 12 decided to leave their home conference.
Quoting “a senior official of the college knowing the situation”, the Houston ChronicleBrent Zwerneman first reported that the SEC could announce the Longhorns and Sooners additions “in a few weeks.”
Texas started the conversation, according to a Associated press The source. The ‘Horns should inform the Big 12 that they do not plan to extend their media rights agreement with the conference, according to Stadium’s Brett McMurphy, who also reports that there is interest from both sides of the conversation. The Big 12 rights grant agreement expires in 2025.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey would not address the reports when he attended the 2021 SEC Media Days on Wednesday.
“No comment on this speculation,” he told CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. Sankey later added: “We’re only worried about the 2021 season. Someone dropped a report from anonymous people.”
Texas and Oklahoma have issued similar statements refusing to acknowledge the reports.
“Speculation is swirling around college athletics. We won’t address rumors or speculation,” said the Longhorns.
“The landscape of varsity athletics is constantly changing. We don’t respond to all anonymous rumors,” the Sooners said.
Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork made it clear to media gathered on Wednesday that he wants the Aggies to be the only Lone Star State team to attend the conference. Texas A&M and Missouri were the two teams that left the Big 12 for the SEC in the last round of conference realignment nearly ten years ago.
“I haven’t read the article, but if you ask me to comment on varsity athletics, that changes,” Bjork told Dodd. “So what does it look like?” I do not know. … We want to be the only SEC program in the state of Texas. “
There was talk at that time about Texas and Oklahoma potentially leaving the Big 12 for the Pac-12 (then Pac-10) or the SEC, but nothing came of these discussions as both ultimately stayed. with the league of which they have been a member since 1996. Oklahoma was already part of the Big Eight when it moved to the Big 12 in 1996 by adding Texas as one of the four programs of the now defunct Southwest Conference.
However, the Big 12 were reduced to 10 teams in that round of realignment, and they struggled to regain a foothold among their Power Five peers. Texas and Oklahoma have supported the league since its downsizing, and if they left it would put the Big 12 on the brink of collapse.
The additions of the Longhorns and Sooners would make the SEC the first 16-team superconference – a development long discussed as a possibility if there was another round of conference realignment – while simultaneously adding massive branding power to a league already considered the best in college sports.
However, Oklahoma and Texas will face resistance within the Big 12 and beyond. Oklahoma state officials have made it clear that they do not support their potential departure for another conference.
“We have heard unconfirmed reports that OU and UT have approached Southeastern Conference officials to join the SEC,” OSU said in a statement. “We are collecting information and will monitor closely. If this is true we would be sorely disappointed. While we place particular importance on history, loyalty and trust, rest assured we will defend and advance in such a way. aggressive which is best for the State of Oklahoma and our strong athletic program, which continues to excel in the Big 12 and nationally. ”
As for the SEC, its statutes stipulate that 11 of the 14 institutions must vote in the affirmative to invite new members to the conference. Some current SEC teams – in addition to Texas A&M – may be hesitant to accept additional league members for a myriad of reasons, including concerns about future expansion in their states. However, Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel reports that “getting 11 out of 14 votes doesn’t seem like a problem”.
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