Oklahoma's Joe Castiglione Reaffirmed the SEC Timeline is Unchanged for the Sooners

Even on the eve of the college football season, conference realignment never stops.

On Wednesday, reports surfaced that the Big 12 is entering renegotiation talks with ESPN and FOX on a new TV rights deal, a similar move to the Pac 12.

As a result, CBS’ Dennis Dodd reported that there are “active discussions” about Oklahoma and Texas departing the Big 12 for the SEC before 2025.

As a consequence of @Big12Conference starting negotiations early with rightsholders sources tell CBS Sports there are now active discussions regarding Texas and Oklahoma leaving early for the SEC.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) August 31, 2022

Friday, Oklahoma athletics director Joe Castiglione said nothing has changed for him or OU in the last week.

“No,” Castiglione told Toby Rowland on KREF 1400AM. “… We’ve said all along that we’re going to fulfill our obligations through the 2024-25 (athletic year), and that’s our plan. Now people listening are not naive. There are many things happening around college sports. And if that facilitates, necessitates or creates a reason to have a conversation with the two schools, Oklahoma and Texas, about staying through 2025, then it does.

“That would come from the Big 12, not from us. And so if (the) Big 12 sees their business of the future needing to take shape at a different timetable, then there will be conversations. But until then we’re focused on what we said we would do, just fulfill our obligations and complete the contracts that are in place and be ready to transition into the SEC July 1, 2025.”

Since the impending move to the SEC was announced, Castiglione has never wavered about the timeline for the move.

But in the past year, Oklahoma and Texas haven’t been the only schools bitten by the conference realignment bug.

This summer the Big Ten made waves by adding USC and UCLA, sending the Pac 12 into a panic.

Recently, reports have also surfaced that Oregon and Washington have entered preliminary discussions with the Big Ten, putting the Pac 12 on life support.

After OU and Texas announced their moves last summer, the Big 12 acted quick in adding Cincinnati, UCF, Houston and BYU to the fold, as those schools are slated to enter the conference ahead of the 2023 season.

The TV negations for the Big 12, Big Ten, Pac 12 and SEC have been fluid over the past year as the tectonic plates of collegiate athletics continue to shift.

But one thing’s for certain — by 2025, the Sooners and the Longhorns will be members of the SEC, regardless of the chaotic environment surrounding college sports.

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the AllSooners message board community today!

Sign up for your premium membership to AllSooners.com today, and get access to the entire Fan Nation premium network!

Follow AllSooners on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest OU news.