According to report by Yahoo Sports reporter Pete Thamel, which has since been confirmed by multiple sources, the Big 12 conference has sent a cease and desist letter to ESPN stating the network has been manipulating conference alignment.
Reports surfaced last week describing how Texas and Oklahoma were attempting to leave the Big 12 for the SEC after their contracts end in 2025.
That report was later confirmed after Texas and Oklahoma informed the Big 12 on Monday that they would not be renewing their contracts. On Tuesday, the two schools officially applied to the SEC.
or any NCAA conference regarding the Big 12 conference's members, possible conference realignment or potential financial incentive or outcomes related to possible conference realignment." More soon on @YahooSports https://t.co/HHRW1ZXTPm
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 28, 2021
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby added context in a report by AP writer Ralph Russo.
“I have absolute certainty they (ESPN) have been involved in manipulating other conferences to go after our members,” Bowlsby said.
Bowlsby told AP that ESPN is incentivizing other conferences to destabilize the Big 12 so Oklahoma and Texas can get out of paying a buyout to the conference.
Story to come.
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) July 28, 2021
Read the full letter here:
.@SINow has obtained the cease and desist letter that the Big 12 sent to ESPN.
In it, commissioner Bob Bowlsby says that ESPN has reached out to at least one of the eight remaining Big 12 members in an attempt to convince the school to leave in wake of the Texas and OU exit. pic.twitter.com/j50gEBPWBY
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 28, 2021
ESPN’s SEC Network, along with the SEC itself, would benefit from the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the conference. The two powerhouses are storied college football programs that would allow the conference and partner ESPN to bank on new TV revenue from the merger. And that’s just one aspect. This move will likely impact the SEC and college football in more ways than we know.
Stay tuned to UGA Wire as the situation develops further.