On the economic consequences of Texas and Oklahoma quitting the Big 12. According to a Perryman Group analysis, the remaining eight members of the Big 12 face significant economic penalties. The group estimates that without those two schools, the remaining seven will have revenue of $56 million versus $80 million with them in the mix.
On the political consequences of Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12. According to Rice University professor John Hinderaker, the breakup of the Big 12 would be "catastrophic" for President Bush's re-election campaign because it would lead many Texas voters to cast their ballots for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
On the cultural consequences of Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12. Many college sports fans in these two states feel that the universities' involvement in other conferences has deprived them of the opportunity to see their teams compete on a regular basis against other top programs. As one Texan fan said, "If Texas leaves the Big 12, then we're going Division I all by ourselves."
Finally, on the academic consequences of Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12. Some professors at Texas Tech believe that the loss of these two schools would be devastating for research opportunities at the school.
The Big 12 is in disarray after learning that Oklahoma and Texas, its two most prominent members, want to leave for the Southeastern Conference when the Big 12's grant of rights pact expires in 2025, if not sooner. The SEC has been trying to recruit both schools for several years with little success.
An investigation by the NCAA found evidence that major college football programs were providing assistance to high school players who wanted to attend these schools. This practice is known as "benefiting" from student-athletes.
The report also revealed that some schools paid players based on how much money they could generate through memorabilia sales and appearance fees. These payments were called "referral bonuses."
In addition to benefiting from student-athlete services, such as help with tuition or books, many schools sold access to their sports websites or allowed players to make online purchases with their likenesses. Some schools even hired a former NFL player to be their marketing director. The report noted that some schools appeared to be more willing to engage in this type of behavior than others.
After the news about Oklahoma and Texas broke last week, other schools began to worry that they might be next. This fear was confirmed yesterday when it was reported that Missouri had discussions with the SEC about leaving for that conference.
Texas and Oklahoma have began the process of transitioning from the Big 12 to the SEC. The two institutions stated Monday that they will not renew their grant of rights arrangement with the Big 12, but will "respect their current commitments" until the 2024-25 academic year.
In other words, there is no confirmation at this time that either school will leave the conference in 2024 or 2025. However, it's clear that if both schools leave then the Big 12 will be unable to continue operationally without violating its own policy on institutional independence.
Currently, both schools are expected to join the SEC. It's possible that one could change its mind before the deadline if there are developments that could affect its ability to join the SEC. For example, if one school were to suffer a major loss during season play that would likely impact its ability to join the SEC immediately after that season ends.
However, it's unlikely that either school will withdraw from the SEC before the deadline due to the significant investment required by each institution to join another conference.
It's also important to remember that even if Texas and Oklahoma leave the conference, other members may decide to follow them out the door. If four schools agree to leave then the conference can negotiate an exit fee with those schools.
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