The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma announced on Monday that they would not be renewing Big 12 media rights after rumors continue to swirl regarding a conference exit from the pair.
The rights are set to expire in 2025, the two schools said in a joint statement.
“Providing notice to the Big 12 at this point is important in advance of the expiration of the conference’s current media rights agreement,” the institutions wrote. “The universities intend to honor their existing grant of rights agreements. However, both universities will continue to monitor the rapidly evolving collegiate athletics landscape as they consider how best to position their athletics programs for the future.”
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Last week, experts posited that the two colleges would exit the Big 12 in favor of the Southeastern Conference, raising the alarm in Lone Star State institutions UT-Austin would possibly leave behind. Baylor University, Texas Christian University, and Texas Tech University are Big 12 schools and longtime rivals of one another.
Top brass at Baylor released a statement last week regarding conference “uncertainty.”
“We understand the significance and urgency of this matter, as our conference membership impacts not only Baylor, but also the Waco community, the state of Texas and beyond,” Linda Livingstone, the school’s president, and Mack Rhoades IV, the institution’s director of intercollegiate athletics, said together on Friday. “Conference affiliation has the power to greatly enhance our institution’s academic and athletic national standing and visibility while also expanding academic and research opportunities available to faculty, students and our communities. For our state, it is critical to our economy and Texas’ overall reputation to maintain five ‘Power Five’ institutions, reinforcing the Lone Star State’s athletic preeminence.”
The alleged move has drawn ire from some in the Texas Legislature as lawmakers introduced a bill on Friday to block UT-Austin if it sought to switch conferences. House Bill 298, which was filed by Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Republican, has over 30 co-signers, though the legislation is likely to be more symbolic expression of displeasure rather than an actionable order, according to the Texas Tribune.
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“A decision to switch to a different athletic conference affects the opportunity and stability of our publicly-funded universities across the state and must be fully vetted in the most transparent and comprehensive manner possible,” Burrows said in a statement.
The SEC, a longtime football powerhouse, is composed of 14 schools, including the University of Florida, Louisiana State University, and the University of Alabama.
