Texas, Oklahoma want a seat at the SEC's table, but will they make room?
Is the SEC on its way to becoming a 16-team superconference?
The Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns have "reached out" to the SEC about possibly joining the conference and an announcement could come "within two weeks," per The Houston Chronicle.
On Wednesday, both the Longhorns and Sooners released similar statements on social media declining to comment on the speculation, while not dismissing the "rumors" outright.
Big 12 athletic directors and administrators are set to meet Thursday to discuss the situation, per ESPN.
According to the SEC bylaws regarding conference membership, "a vote of at least three-fourths of the members is required to extend an invitation for membership," or in this case, 11 of the 14 schools.
If Oklahoma and Texas hope to join the SEC, they'll need more support than what they're currently getting from that conference's teams.
At Wednesday's SEC media days, Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said he and fellow SEC athletic directors have not discussed bringing Texas and Oklahoma into the conference, but that he plans to be "diligent" in his "approach to protect Texas A&M." (The Aggies left the Big 12 to join the SEC in 2012.)
"We want to be the only SEC program in the state of Texas," Bjork said. "There's a reason why Texas A&M left the Big 12 – to be standalone, to have our own identity. That’s our feeling."
Similarly, Big 12 rival Oklahoma State said it "would be gravely disappointed" if these two teams have engaged in discussions with the SEC.
Another road bump comes at the financial toll of exiting the Big 12. It would prove a costly endeavor for the Longhorns and Sooners, as the Big 12's television contracts with ESPN and FOX run through 2024.
On Thursday’s "The Herd," Colin Cowherd shared a word of caution for the Aggies, specifically, if they end up transitioning, pointing out the grass isn't always greener.
"Be very, very careful, Texas, [for] what you hope for," he said. "They could go independent. … I mean, they’re progressive, they’re cool, they’re techy. They feel [like the] Pac-12 to me. They don’t feel like Starkville. They don’t feel like Oxford. They don’t feel like Gainesville. They feel kind of like LA with Cowboys hats.
"[Texas] feels like an extension, a little bit, of the West. The SEC does not feel like the West. It's cutthroat. It’s insular. … [Texas] is a regal, glamour brand. … The SEC is a snake pit. It’s intense. I don't think Texas fits it. … Texas doesn’t feel southern. They don’t feel that intense. They feel kind of cool … kind of casual. I’d stay in the Big 12, or I’d go to the Pac-12."
This isn't the first time Texas and Oklahoma have tried to shake things up. Both teams were close to leaving in 2010 and 2011, with Oklahoma nearly leaving for the Pac-12 back in 2010 and Texas previously flirting with the then-Pac-10.
The additions of Texas and Oklahoma would make the SEC the first 16-team conference in college football and add another level of star power to an already dominant league.
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