Oklahoma State President 'Disappointed' by Oklahoma's Departure From Big 12

In a statement released Friday, Oklahoma State president Dr. Kayse Shrum said the school was "disappointed by the lack of engagement and transparency" from Oklahoma.

As news of Texas and Oklahoma's impending departure for the SEC, the Big 12 is left scrambling to make sense of a future without its two most high-profile programs. One school that's feeling particularly spurned by the move? Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State president Dr. Kayse Shrum said in a statement Friday that the school was "disappointed" at the lack of collaboration and communication from Oklahoma, further evidence that the rest of the Big 12 was blindsided by a development of this magnitude.

"We are disappointed by the lack of engagement and transparency from our colleagues at OU over the past months on a matter with serious ramifications for our state," Shrum said. "We have historically worked together to advance our state and address issues based on a partnership built on trust."

Shrum, who took the job in April and made history as the first woman to hold the position at Oklahoma State, added that the school was still in the process of determining what would come next, as the rest of the remaining eight Big 12 schools are likely doing the same.

"We will continue to work with purpose to the advancement of our state and the betterment of our fellow Oklahomans," Shrum said. "In the ever-changing college athletic landscape, we will honor our values and ethics as we consider the next steps."

Shrum previously served as president of Oklahoma State's Center for Health Sciences since 2013, which made her the youngest and first female president and dean of a medical school in the state of Oklahoma. Her first official day as university president was July 1.

Shrum concluded her statement toting Oklahoma State's extensive track record of athletic success, pointing an eye toward future opportunities.

"Our commitment to our student-athletes is top of mind, and their best interests will be represented prominently. We enjoy a proud athletic heritage with more National Championships than any other Big 12 university, and we will aggressively pursue the opportunities ahead."

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Nick Selbe
NICK SELBE

Nick Selbe is a programming editor at Sports Illustrated who frequently writes about baseball and college sports. Before joining SI in March 2020 as a breaking/trending news writer, he worked for MLB Advanced Media, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. Selbe received a bachelor's in communication from the University of Southern California.