- Oklahoma and Texas accepted invitations to join the SEC last week
- Big 12 commissioner says remaining members believe “best opportunity is to stay together and find solutions together”
The Big 12 Conference could see the value of its TV rights halved when the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma athletic departments join the Southeastern Conference (SEC), according to commissioner Bob Bowlsby.
Last week, it was revealed that the two teams had accepted invitations to join the SEC in 2025, leaving behind the Big 12 after the current media rights deal expires.
Speaking before a state senate select committee during a hearing on the future of college sports in Texas, Bowlsby warned that the departure of Texas and Oklahoma could have a significant impact on the conference’s eight remaining schools.
As reported by The Athletic, Bowlsby told the hearing that the Big 12 distributes roughly US$28 million annually in TV revenue per member from the conference’s deals with ESPN and Fox Sports. He went on to estimate that the schools could lose US$14 million per year in TV money following Texas and Oklahoma’s exit.
The Big 12 distributed US$345 million among its ten member colleges this year – or US$34.5 million each – which was down from the previous year due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that the SEC plans to share as much as US$70 million per year with its members over the next few seasons.
During the testimony, Bowlsby also described the decision of Texas and Oklahoma to leave the Big 12 as a “major and perpetual blow”.
“I acknowledge that institutions have every right to envision their future and to act upon those visions,” he added. “Regrettably and inappropriately, these two universities chose to ignore their prior commitments and instead moved ahead to deceive and undermine the institutions to which they pledged their loyalty.”
The Athletic previously reported that Bowlsby had met with new Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff about the two conferences potentially working together in the wake of Texas and Oklahoma’s decision.
However, Bowlsby added that the plan for now is to keep the remaining Big 12 schools together.
“I believe our members think that our best opportunity is to stay together and find solutions together, and that is the plan at this time,” he said.
The Big 12 Conference could see the value of its TV rights halved when the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma athletic departments join the Southeastern Conference (SEC), according to commissioner Bob Bowlsby.
media rights,NCAA,texas,oklahoma
