Texas and Oklahoma not expected to join SEC in 2024 as talks for early exit from Big 12 stall, per report

The SEC announced in June 2021 that Texas and Oklahoma will join the conference no later than 2025. However, it looks like the Longhorns and Sooners’ efforts to leave the Big 12 earlier than that will be unsuccessful. 

ESPN reported Friday that it is unlikely that the schools will come to an agreement with the Big 12 and its two television partners that would allow the two schools to leave earlier than the 2025-26 academic year. The SEC did not comment on the report.

The decision of the Longhorns and Sooners to move to the SEC set off a chain reaction of schools moving to other conferences including the Big 12 — which will add BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and UCF next season to make up for their departure. This means that the Big 12 will have 14 teams for two seasons prior to their departure after the 2024 season. 

CBS Sports reported in December 2022 that one major holdup in the move is the concern by the Big 12’s television partners (ESPN and Fox) that the value of their contracts with the conference would take a huge hit in 2024 due to the departure of Texas and Oklahoma. The Big 12’s grant of rights deal expires prior to the 2025 season, which is the reason that 2025 was announced as the deadline for the move. 

One possible solution to the problem would be that, if Oklahoma and Texas leave early, the SEC could send its teams to play in the Big 12 footprint in 2024, which would give the two networks rights to broadcast the games. That scenario would subsequently impact existing contracts that schools in both leagues have with out-of-conference opponents.

“They would have to play games in the [Big 12] footprint so Fox and ESPN can have value,” an industry source told CBS Sports. “If ESPN and Fox are happy, [the Big 12] would be happy.” 

It became clear that neither conference expected the massive shift in the near future. The Big 12 released its schedule on Jan. 31, and it includes Texas and Oklahoma. The SEC released its 2023 schedule on Sept. 30, 2022 without the Longhorns and Sooners. Future conference scheduling typically doesn’t happen until the preceding year, so both conferences have been operating as usual over the last several months.