Report: Oklahoma and Texas Could Join the SEC One Year Early in 2024
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Oklahoma and Texas’ move to the SEC may be happening a year early after all.
The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy reported there is “momentum” for the Sooners and the Longhorns to head to the SEC for the 2024 football season, one year earlier than when the current Grant of Rights expires in 2025.
Both OU and Texas have publicly maintained that both schools intend to stay in Big 12 through the expiration of the Grant of Rights, but it has been long speculated that each athletic department is looking for a way into the SEC before 2025.
New Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark declared that the conference was “open for business” at Big 12 Football Media Days last July, but he maintained any deal between the conference and the departing powers would have to make sense for the Big 12 first and foremost.
McMurphy’s report said the sides may be inching closer, as an industry source told McMurphy “there is desire on may fronts for this to get done.”
For now, the Sooners and the Longhorns will play in a bloated Big 12 in 2023, as Cincinnati, UCF, Houston and BYU will join the fray.
One stumbling block that remains for an early exit to the SEC remains the existing television contracts, McMurphy said.
The arrival of Oklahoma and Texas will increase the value of the SEC’s media deal, while devaluing the Big 12’s deal that runs through July 1, 2025.
FOX also holds a bit of agency, as they would lose valuable inventory by not being able to broadcast the Sooners or Longhorns as a part of their current deal with the Big 12 once the schools enter the SEC.
There are still details to be ironed out, but McMurphy said a deal could be in place by next month.
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