SEC conference commissioner Greg Sankey. Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Decision reached on Oklahoma, Texas joining SEC early

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 2/3/23

Oklahoma and Texas are anxious to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC, but the two schools are going to have to stick to their original timeline for doing so.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Friday that Texas and Oklahoma will join the SEC ahead of the 2025 season. The two schools held negotiations with the SEC, Big 12, ESPN and Fox about making the switch sooner, but no agreement was reached.

Texas and Oklahoma will join the SEC in 2025, as parties couldn’t come to terms amid a complex negotiation between two schools (OU/Texas), two networks (ESPN/FOX) and the Big 12.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 3, 2023

The initial agreement was for Texas and Oklahoma to move to the Big 12 for the 2025 season. A report several weeks ago claimed there was momentum toward the change happening a year sooner, but there was a lot to work through with exit fees and media rights deals. Ultimately, those obstacles were too significant to overcome.

That means Texas and Oklahoma will play two more seasons in the Big 12 before departing. Other big changes are coming to the SEC once the two members join.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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