It’s been reported that the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns were working with the Big 12 and their media rights partners to find a solution for an early exit agreement. It appears a move to the SEC in 2024 is unlikely to occur.
According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, efforts to come to an agreement have “stalled and at this point is unlikely to come to fruition.”
Thamel continued that “Texas and Oklahoma will join the SEC in 2025, as parties couldn’t come to terms amid a complex negotiation between the two schools (OU/Texas), two networks (ESPN/FOX), and the Big 12.”
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
Earlier this week, CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd reported, “Texas and Oklahoma recently made an offer to the Big 12 and Fox to leave the league one year early for the SEC, sources told CBS Sports this week. It was rejected. The nature of the offer was not clear.”
Though the “nature of the offer” is not clear, what is clear is that the Sooners and Longhorns appear to have a hard road ahead of them if they want to get to the SEC before the 2025 season.
FOX has always been the wildcard in this. Brett Yormark and the Big 12 have been open to an early exit, granted they could come to terms on a win-win agreement. FOX doesn’t want to lose the value that games featuring Oklahoma and Texas provide. FOX wants to be made “whole,” according to Dodd.
Though things can change in a hurry, dreams of playing an SEC schedule in 2024 will have to be just that for now.
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