SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey: Oklahoma, Texas Likely to Remain in Big 12 in 2023
There is still some uncertainty as to when Oklahoma and Texas will officially leave the Big 12 for the SEC. The two universities continue to insist that they will remain in the Big 12 through the 2024-25 athletic seasons, however the speculation continues that the two may want to leave earlier than that.
But, comments on Saturday night from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey to The Athletic’s Sam Kahn suggests that the two are going to remain in the Big 12 through at least the 2023-24 athletic year.
Sankey said that while future match ups between Oklahoma and Georgia were called off, the fact that Alabama and Texas are still set to play in a non-conference game next year is telling and should imply that OU and Texas will be in the Big 12 next year.
The longer time goes on, the more Sankey will be proven right on this, as college football schedules are set for years in advance and even if Oklahoma and Texas bolted for next season, Texas would have to roll Alabama into their SEC schedule and the find another opponent to fill a non-conference opening. That’s never easy, although it’s likely do-able, as some program will take a big check to go get beat up by the Longhorns.
All that being said, we know Cincinnati, UCF, BYU and Houston are coming in next year, which means at least one season of 14 teams in the Big 12, before it reduces to 12. Do Texas and Oklahoma really want to deal with that awkward overlap?
They may not have a choice in the matter, unless they want to pay the tens of millions of dollars in a buyout to leave early.
So Sankey’s logic is solid, however, I still wouldn’t trust him and the rest of the SEC as far as I can throw them.
