It has been widely reported that Texas and Oklahoma are planning to leave the Big 12 to join the SEC, and the two schools have now all but confirmed it publicly.
On Monday, Texas and Oklahoma issued a joint statement announced that they have notified the Big 12 that they will will not extend their grant of media rights beyond 2025, which is when the current deal expires. While the statement did not explicitly say the two teams will leave the conference, the message is clear.
Divorce proceedings underway pic.twitter.com/W93tGJjECa
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) July 26, 2021
That essentially places an official date on when Texas and Oklahoma will leave the Big 12. They have been in talks to join the SEC for months, and we can now expect the move to happen following the 2025 season.
The Big 12 will have little relevance nationally when Texas and Oklahoma leave. That is why the conference is reportedly considering merging with another Power 5 conference. Either way, another major shakeup is coming in college athletics.
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