New Report: Oklahoma and Texas 'Likely' Leaving for the SEC in 2024

What was reported by Action Network earlier this week was also reported Friday by The Athletic: that the Sooners and Longhorns will seek an exit before the 2025 Grant of Rights.

More signs are pointing to an early exit for Oklahoma and Texas.

On Friday, The Athletic — citing unnamed sources — reported that the Sooners and Longhorns are closer to leaving the Big 12 Conference for the SEC. That follows reporting earlier in the week from Action Network college football insider Brett McMurphy, who said there was “momentum” for OU and Texas leaving in 2025 instead of the original date of 2025.

The Athletic’s sources confirmed that discussions have been going on for months for OU and Texas to leave before the Big 12's existing Grant of Rights expires in 2025.

New Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in October that he expected OU and Texas to stick with the original plan of 2025 after having “reiterated that commitment” since his arrival in July.

But Yormark in October also promised the 2023 football schedule would be released in late November or early December, and included details such as everyone (including OU and Texas) playing road games at the league’s four new members over the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Yormark said in February that next year’s schedule would be released in October. On Dec. 3, he revised that to mid-December.

If the Sooners and Longhorns are working toward an exit in 2024, the Big 12 delaying its schedule release makes sense because the league will have to come up with an entirely new plan — possibly for both ’23 and ’24.

”They’re definitely engaged on it and moving towards something where they will leave after next season (2023),” said one Athletic source, identified as a Big 12 school official.

Another, identified as a person with knowledge of the discussions, is quoted as saying, “It’s likely they are leaving early.”

One Big 12 school official told The Athletic he believes the matter will be resolved in a matter of weeks, not months, and multiple sources indicated “both sides are eager to move on from each other.”