Paul Finebaum: Oklahoma ‘desperately’ wants out of Big 12 conference

Another day that ends in “Y”, so another day for Paul Finebaum to troll the Big 12 conference.

As he does every week, Finebaum joined the guys in Birmingham on JOX Radio, and was discussing the Big 12’s poor showing in the NFL Draft.

The ESPN Radio host went on to discuss why he thinks the Big 12 won’t exist in 5 years, saying:

“I think the Big 12 is in trouble and I think this is something we’ve been able to detect for some time. I don’t think the Big 12 as we know it will still be in existence in five years. There are schools in the Big 12 that have looked to get out, and I think, continue to look to get out. They can deny it all they want but they don’t have the what the SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and what the ACC are going to have, and that’s their own network — which is critical in this world of exploding television reality. I don’t know how you can survive like that.”

But, he took it one step further saying OU wants out:

“I can think of one school in the Big 12 that would like out pretty desperately, and if that happened, would it have a domino effect? That school is the University of Oklahoma.” 

Obviously, if Oklahoma leaves the Big 12, the conference is dead. That’s it for the Big 12. The conference is run by Texas and Oklahoma, and without one or the other, the Big 12 will cease to exist.

But Paul Finebaum made the same mistake as Lee Corso saying the conference will be dead in 5 years, that is very very unlikely. As we wrote then, “Every University in the Big 12 has contracted their media rights back to the Big 12 through 2025. Essentially, it’s the Big 12, not Texas, Oklahoma, or any of the other schools, that own the rights to broadcast athletic events, basically binding the schools to the conference.” 

Now of course, lawyers can do amazing things, and if OU really does want out that badly (which we can’t confirm or deny), then maybe something could happen. I still believe that the Big 12 is safe until 2025. But after that, it’s anyone’s guess.

Are you buying Paul Finebaum, or is this just his latest edition of trolling Sooners fans and the Big 12 conference. Sound off in the comments!