Texas and Oklahoma Officially Make Plans to Leave Big 12

The University of Texas and University of Oklahoma have decided not to renew their Big 12 Conference media rights after 2025 on Monday, they announced Monday.

This confirms rumors of their plans to leave the Big 12 and join the Southeastern Conference, although they have yet to apply to join the SEC.

We reported on the impact of this decision, the top two revenue-producing Big 12 schools leaving the conference, following rumors on Thursday.

“Providing notice to the Big 12 at this point is important in advance of the expiration of the conference’s current media rights agreement,” Texas and Oklahoma said in a joint press release.

“The universities intend to honor their existing grant of rights agreements. However, both universities will continue to monitor the rapidly evolving collegiate athletics landscape as they consider how best to position their athletics programs for the future.”

“Although our eight members are disappointed with the decisions of these two institutions, we recognize that intercollegiate athletics is experiencing rapid change and will most likely look much different in 2025 than it does currently,” Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in the Big 12’s statement.

“The Big 12 Conference will continue to support our member institutions’ efforts to graduate student-athletes, and compete for 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 in a collaborative manner to thoughtfully and strategically position the Big 12 Conference for continued success, both athletically and academically, long into the future.” 

ESPN explained that Big 12 bylaws require schools planning to leave a conference to provide notice of their decision 18 months in advance, or otherwise pay a ’commitment buyout fee,’ equal to the distributions that would be paid to the school during those last two years of its membership.

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CosPAC
2 years ago

I think USC and Stanford should join the SEC and just call it the The C!

pete kennedy
2 years ago

Is Bowlsby responsible for this move forward ?

swim fan
2 years ago

SMU to the Big 12?

Admin
Reply to  swim fan
2 years ago

Honestly, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner, but now it seems like a no-brainer. The TCU-Baylor-SMU rivalry triangle could lift some hearts in Texas.

TheSwimCritic
2 years ago

The SEC doesn’t need Oklahoma

Texas A&M only wants the Longhorns in to rekindle their rivalry

Admin
Reply to  TheSwimCritic
2 years ago

Texas A&M has made it abundantly clear that they don’t want to rekindle the rivalry with the Longhorns, especially in the SEC.

Huh
Reply to  TheSwimCritic
2 years ago

TAMU definitely does not want Texas in the SEC.

SwimMike
2 years ago

The SEC swimming championship just gets better. Interesting to see what Texas will do now that their conference meet is no longer a glorified intersquad meet for them.

cynthia curran
Reply to  SwimMike
2 years ago

Well, Jacoby comes in for Texas on the women’s size. maybe, she can helped devolved a better women’s team and help to rival Virginia in the SEC. In fact Texas men’s team should have been in a better conference to begun with.

Willswim
Reply to  cynthia curran
2 years ago

Virginia is in the ACC

Enchantedrock
Reply to  cynthia curran
2 years ago

Texas was 3rd. Not to shabby.

Mona
Reply to  Enchantedrock
2 years ago

Because of the divers

GarrettS
Reply to  cynthia curran
2 years ago

What is happening to the Texas women team? A very small percentage of them improve or maintain pre college times. They will get crushed in the new conference if only one recruit each year survives.

Swimmom
Reply to  GarrettS
2 years ago

Swimmers that are top of the nation come to UT, and under Carol’s coaching, they fall off the map. Why is that? It’s like she picks only a few to focus on and the rest fall behind. A good coach should know the success of a team is built by training for the success of the team, not just a few individuals.

Last edited 2 years ago by Swimmom
swammer
2 years ago

Big 12s for swimming men will now be a duel meet…..

Rory
Reply to  swammer
2 years ago

They’ll join another conference. Same way that the Big 12 Rowing in includes schools like Alabama and Tennessee and Big 12 Gymnastics includes schools like Denver.

WahooSwimFan
2 years ago

Perhaps its time to have Football only conferences and preserve the NCAA for all other sports.

Qqq
Reply to  WahooSwimFan
2 years ago

Thatll be a pretty financially strapped organization….

Gymbro Fisher
Reply to  Qqq
2 years ago

Finally we can cut swimming to buy the football players another hot tub🔥

Rookie
Reply to  WahooSwimFan
2 years ago

Agreed. Beginning to believe football is going to have to be stripped out of conference play and replaced with some sort of “college NFL” system that preserves regional/rivalry play and has its own playoff system and championship. All the “member” schools would share equally in the league TV contract. Otherwise, the race to create a super conference is going to crush a lot of college programs who get left out in the cold.

Lol
2 years ago

Now texas will have to taper to win sec’s. Ncaa will be much harder for them now

Bruh
Reply to  Lol
2 years ago

Said who 😂

mcmflyguy
Reply to  Lol
2 years ago

if the goal is win NCAAs they don’t need to win SEC conference. just make the cuts and win NCAAs.

Coach Cwik
Reply to  Lol
2 years ago

Texas will have major competition 5 weeks before NCAA’s. This will make the tougher and faster. Anyone that thinks different doesn’t know coaching.

About Annika Johnson

Annika Johnson

Annika came into the sport competitively at age eight, following in the footsteps of her twin sister and older brother. The sibling rivalry was further fueled when all three began focusing on distance freestyle, forcing the family to buy two lap counters. Annika is a three-time Futures finalist in the 200 …

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