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Following the conclusion of the Track and Field Championships, Texas and Oklahoma have ended their time in the Big 12. The two schools agreed to join the Southeastern Conference in 2021, kickstarting the ongoing wave of conference realignment in college athletics.
The Longhorns and the Sooners have over the years been the most influential schools in the Big 12, contributing the most to its media value. The two universities are, however, set to officially join the SEC on July 1 when the 2024-25 academic session kicks off in the United States.
Without a doubt, the realignment move will mark a great shift in the world of collegiate athletics, making the SEC an even stronger conference in the landscape.
Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12 one year early
When Texas and Oklahoma were invited to the SEC in 2021, the plan was for the schools to officially make the move in 2025 when the current Big 12 media deal ends. However, the two schools negotiated their way out one year early in a deal that’s worth $100 million.
“By reaching this agreement, we are now able to accelerate our new beginning as a 12-team league and move forward in earnest with our initiatives and future planning,” Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said.
“I appreciate the approaches of OU president Joe Harroz and UT president Jay Hartzell to ensure an amicable conclusion to this process, and look forward to the bright days ahead for the Big 12 conference.”
Texas and Oklahoma negotiated an early exit to be part of the new SEC media deal with ESPN right from its first season. The 10-year deal, worth $3 billion, is set to kick off in the 2024 season and will further improve the financial standing of the conference in the landscape.
The Big 12 has survived the scare of Texas and Oklahoma's exit
The announcement of the exit of Texas and Oklahoma brought an existential threat to the Big 12 in 2021 and early 2022. However, the conference was able to adequately navigate the impending chaos by adding new members and securing a new media deal with ESPN.
Since the Longhorns and the Sooners were invited to the SEC in 2021, the Big 12 has added eight new schools to its roster. Cincinnati, UCF and Houston from the American Athletic Conference as well as independent BYU officially joined in 2023. In the same vein, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will officially join on July 1.
