Big 12 Issues Statement: Remaining Eight are 'Disappointed' that OU, Texas Want Out
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said the league’s “eight members are disappointed” with Oklahoma and Texas’ decision to not extend their grant of rights in 2025 but intends to “fully assess” the beleaguered conference’s future.
OU and Texas issued a joint statement Monday morning, and just before 1 p.m. Monday afternoon, the Big 12 responded.
“Although our eight members are disappointed with the decisions of these two institutions,” Bowlsby said, “we recognize that intercollegiate athletics is experiencing rapid change and will most likely look much different in 2025 than it does currently.
“The Big 12 Conference will continue to support our member institutions’ efforts to graduate student-athletes, and compete for Big 12 and NCAA championships. Like many others, we will use the next four years to fully assess what the landscape will look like in 2025 and beyond.
The league’s executive board met with Texas president Jay Hartzell and OU president Joe Harroz on Sunday to listen to what the Big 12 had to say. But it wasn’t enough to keep the Sooners and Longhorns from leaving for the Southeastern Conference — a transition that is expected to begin formally as early as this afternoon as they petition the SEC for membership.
“The remaining eight institutions will work together in a collaborative manner,” Bowlsby said, “to thoughtfully and strategically position the Big 12 Conference for continued success, both athletically and academically, long into the future.”
