July 21, 2021Updated: July 21, 2021 4:56 p.m.
Texas and Oklahoma have been conference rivals since the Big 12 formed in 1996. But the schools could be moving to the SEC after inquiring about membership in the league, a high-ranking insider told the Houston Chronicle.
Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press
HOOVER, Ala. — A decade after major conference realignment shook up college football, big changes might again be on the horizon.
Texas and Oklahoma of the Big 12 have both reached out to the Southeastern Conference about potentially joining the powerful league, a high-ranking college official with knowledge of the situation told the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday.
An announcement could come within a couple of weeks concerning the potential addition of UT and OU to the league, the person said, which would give the SEC 16 schools and make it the first of a national super-conference.
Texas A&M exited the Big 12 nine years ago this month, and along with Big 12 ex Missouri gave the SEC 14 teams, which it has been at since. UT’s addition to the SEC would also mean the Aggies and Longhorns would again meet annually on the football field for the first time since 2011.
ALSO SEE: Texas A&M’s move to the SEC more complicated, book reveals
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey declined comment.
“Speculation swirls around collegiate athletics,” a Texas spokesman said. “We will not address rumors or speculation.”
Oklahoma issued a similar statement: “The college athletics landscape is shifting constantly. We don’t address every anonymous rumor.”
The Big 12’s TV contract with ESPN and Fox expires in 2025.
