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The Big 12 Conference is set to meet following reports of Oklahoma’s intention of leaving the conference.
The fluid situation surrounding the Oklahoma Sooners is now causing the decision-makers in the Big 12 Conference to meet. Continue reading “Big 12 AD’s and brass set to meet over Oklahoma-Texas to SEC reports”
In case you somehow missed it, Texas and Oklahoma have both reached out to the SEC about joining. Here are winners and losers from the proposed move.
In case you somehow missed it, Texas and Oklahoma have both reached out to the SEC about joining the conference. It would create the first 16-team “super conference,” changing the course of college football forever.
While the Longhorns and Sooners seem to be on board, at least two former Big 12 schools seem to be against it. Missouri and Texas A&M will reportedly say nay when a vote is called upon by the league office. Both moved into the SEC to get away from the two, specifically, Texas.
As usual, when a move this gigantic is made, there are winners and losers across the board. Some are going to benefit greatly, while others would rather just keep things the way they are.
Here are the winners and losers from Texas and Oklahoma possibly joining the Big 12:
As rumors swirl about the Sooners’ possible move to the SEC, one of college football’s longest-standing rivalries could be coming to an end.
As rumors continue to swirl about Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners’ possible move to the SEC, one of college football’s longest-standing rivalries could be coming to an end.
The Sooners have dominated the Bedlam series in football with a 90-18-7 record, but, despite the record, it’s still a traditional rivalry. However, after 115 games, the longstanding rivalry may be coming to an end. But there is hope.
Oklahoma State with an assertive statement. pic.twitter.com/BybBf6nCFZ
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) July 21, 2021
Oklahoma State University released a statement Wednesday afternoon expressing their grave disappointment over the news of the potential move to the SEC. While Oklahoma State isn’t included in Oklahoma’s plan to move to the SEC as far as we know, this shouldn’t kill Bedlam from the Sooners’ standpoint. In fact, there’s a way the two teams can continue to play their annual matchup.
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Both schools could keep each other on schedule as yearly nonconference opponent if the Sooners move to the SEC. Florida plays Florida State every year. South Carolina plays Clemson. Georgia plays Georgia Tech. There’s an avenue for Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to continue to play the annual Bedlam game even if they play in separate conferences.
While the two teams have been joined at the hip since the days of the Big 8 and a departure from their in-state rival would be a dramatic turn of events, the Sooners aren’t required to stay in the same conference as the Cowboys (subscription). As the landscape of college football continues to evolve, the Sooners realize they need to evolve as well.
For the Sooners to successfully move to the SEC, 11 of the 14 current conference members must agree to the move. One thing is for certain, if the Sooners and Longhorns do leave the Big 12, the conference will have to fight to stay alive.
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Seeing Texas and Oklahoma abandon the Big 12 ship for college football’s top conference was shocking to everyone. Including the Big 12.
According to Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle, Texas and Oklahoma could be heading to the SEC. The two rivals have been in the Big 12 since its formation in 1996, meaning they would be leaving over 25 years of history.
When the news broke, it was hard to believe. However, more outlets began to confirm similar stories. Seeing the Longhorns and Sooners abandon ship for the sports’ top conference was shocking to everyone.
Including the Big 12.
According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo, the idea of Texas and Oklahoma wanting to head to the SEC “would be news to the Big 12.” The general sense is that both schools would not get into the playoff as easily.
Any notion of OU and Texas going to the SEC would be news to the Big 12. There's a feeling it wouldn't make sense competitively, as there'd be a much more difficult road to the College Football Playoff.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 21, 2021
The two Red River rivals exiting the Big 12 would put the rest of the conference in quite the pickle. Eight programs would have to scramble to either find new members or different conferences.
Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News is reporting there was a Zoom call between all 10 affiliates of the Big 12 this week. No discussion of Texas or Oklahoma leaving the conference was even mentioned.
Big 12 board of directors held a Zoom meeting this week, I'm told, with no inkling about possible departures by Texas and Oklahoma.
— Chuck Carlton (@ChuckCarltonDMN) July 21, 2021
If reports become true, and the SEC approves Texas/Oklahoma to join the conference, it would be a revolutionary move in college football. Not only would two of the biggest programs be moving into the SEC, but it also would be the first 16-team conference.
Only Texas, and to an extent Oklahoma, could pull off such a move.
With just over six weeks remaining in the offseason, this story is going to dominate headlines. With a vote by the SEC conceivably pending, Texas could be playing one of its final seasons against Big 12 opponents.
Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.
It’s news that would shake up the entire college football landscape and has already sent folks into a frenzy.
The college football world was blindsided by the report from the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday that stated Texas and Oklahoma are interested in joining the SEC.
The two breadwinners of the Big 12 are reportedly seeking an opportunity to leave the conference, which would result in a 16-team super conference in the SEC, assuming no teams get bounced.
A move like this would shake up the landscape of college football, and likely rock the world of Texas A&M, which is a proud SEC member. Unfortunately for the Aggies, a decision of this nature will not be in their hands.
While many will feel indifferent on the news initially, it could provide some upside for fans. It would revive the Longhorns-Aggies rivalry while keeping the Red River Rivalry intact.
According to the report, an announcement is expected to be made sometime in the next couple of weeks. The two schools have been in the Big 12 since it started in 1996, but money talks a lot more than tradition, and that SEC revenue is a hard conversation to ignore.
Let’s take a look at how social media is taking the news.
Could Texas and Oklahoma really be thinking about moving to the SEC? It’s reportedly being discussed in a potential college sports shocker.
Could Texas and Oklahoma really be thinking about moving to the SEC? It’s reportedly being discussed in a potential college sports shocker.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
I’m too busy sticking my tongue out at all those Big 12ers who hard-honked at me for suggesting that other Power Five conferences should go after Texas and Oklahoma.
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Texas and Oklahoma are reportedly playing footsie with the SEC.
Houston Chronicle exclusive: Texas, Oklahoma reach out to SEC about joining conference https://t.co/tw2Qm3yeoj via @houstonchron
— Brent Zwerneman (@BrentZwerneman) July 21, 2021
On the plus side, that totally hijacked all the Mike Leach-being-cheeky stuff from SEC media days, and also on the positive, we get the fun of talking college football expansion – which I actually love.
Normally I might cynically blow this off as some sort of stunt to get everyone all hot and bothered, but as it turns out, it might not be all that crazy.
If there was ever a time for this to happen, right now would be perfect considering the seismic shifts happening in college sports to make this potentially work, starting with …
1. College Football Playoff expansion.
Remember, expansion is a business story, not a sports one.
Whether or not Texas and Oklahoma would win anything in the SEC is immaterial. Everyone would make more money, and that goes triple-true if the almost-certain move of taking the CFP up to 12 teams gets approved.
When/if that happens, all of a sudden, you can theoretically lose three games and still be in the mix to win the national title – especially considering that in a loaded SEC, those losses would likely come to other teams in the top 12.
We’re all going to have to get used to the idea that soon you won’t have to be close to perfect to be a part of the college football championship picture.
However, of course …
2. It’s all about the money.
The rich would like to have more money. That’s why they’re rich. They’re better at getting more money than the not-rich, and with this move everyone involved would make lots and lots and lots of money. Oh yeah, and …
3. The players are going to want to make money.
Well that kicked in fast.
One minute no one knows what NIL means, the next moment the Alabama quarterback is supposedly going to bring in a cool million in endorsements.
You want the best players? You give them the best sponsorship opportunities in the biggest spotlight games. A ridiculously loaded SEC with Texas and Oklahoma would bring more money, more agents, more attention, and more deals for the top players on the top teams. Again, everyone makes more money.
Speaking of more money …
4. TV deals will still matter … sort of.
The idea of TV markets don’t mean quite what they used to, and normal TV deals aren’t going to be the same in a streaming world with everyone under the age of near-death blowing off the normal network channels to watch someone on YouTube ordering Starbucks.
The conferences haven’t quite figured out how to make their home networks really rock.
The Big Ten Network is a cash machine for what it does, but it’s not Netflix. The SEC Network with Texas and Oklahoma could all of a sudden change the game and how the consumption of sports works by reconfiguring its deals. It would back up the Brinks truck with deals from the normal network players along with amazing options from the streaming companies.
But you, Joe Q. Sportsfan, don’t really care about that. What about the on-field stuff. How would this really work?
If I had to speculate on Step 193 in all of this, forget the banter about eliminating two divisions and making the league one big SEC glob. If the conference added two more teams – especially Texas and Oklahoma – to get to 16, my knee-jerk guess would be for a move to four divisions of four and a four-team SEC Conference mini-playoff. And why?
(No, you don’t need me to actually type the words “to make more money,” do you?)
My guess?
East: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
Mideast: LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee
West: Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss
Southwest: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M
– CFN 2021 College Football Preview of all 130 teams
Or, this could be just a super-flex by the Big 12’s two big powerhouses to expand their respective brands, increase their influence, and/or up their price and deal for where I really think they might be headed (totally irresponsible speculation alert) …
The Pac-12.
Media days just got real.
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Per a recent report the Oklahoma Sooners could have their eye on the SEC Conference.
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The endless discussion regarding super conferences received a helping of gasoline onto the fire. Continue reading “Report: Oklahoma and Texas reach out to SEC about expansion”
