A Houston newspaper reported that Oklahoma and Texas have contacted the Southeastern Conference about the possibility of leaving the Big 12 Conference.

The two schools notified the Big 12 Monday that they would not renew their TV contract that expires in 2025. The next step would be an application to join the SEC.

“Earlier today, OU delivered a document to the Big 12 Conference office which indicated they will not renew their grant of media rights with the Big 12 following the 2024-25 season,” OSU President  Dr. Kayse Strum said in a statement. ‘This action was strategic, deliberate and results from months of planning with the SEC. These conversations, which developed over a long period, are a clear breach of the Big 12 Conference bylaws and broke the decades-long bond of trust between our universities. It is difficult to understand how an Oklahoma institution of higher education would follow the University of Texas to the detriment of the state of Oklahoma.

“Nevertheless, we are looking to the future and what is best for Oklahoma State University. Over the last few days, I have received countless phone calls, texts and emails from high-ranking officials and members of the Cowboy family showing their support for OSU as we navigate the road ahead. Regardless of what comes next, OSU is dedicated to the state of Oklahoma. We remain confident OSU is in the strongest position ever, and I am excited about the future of Oklahoma State University, our land-grant mission, world-class faculty and top-notch athletic programs.”

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey  told reporters at SEC Media Days that the conference isn’t looking beyond this year. “We are only worried about the 2021 season,” he said. “Somebody dropped a report from unnamed people.”

If Oklahoma and Texas leave the Big 12, that conference would be reduced to eight teams while the SEC would swell to 16 teams. The Longhorns and Sooners have been member institutions since the Big 12’s formation in 1996, when former Southwest Conference schools Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech were added to the Big 8. Founding members Colorado and Nebraska left  for the Pac-12 and Big Ten, respectively, in 2011. Missouri and Texas A&M then joined the SEC.

What could motivate Oklahoma and Texas to make such a move? The easy answer would be money because the SEC has a bigger TV contract and pays out more than the Big 12. The Big 12 contract with Fox Sports expires in 2025. OU was upset that the 50-year reunion game with Nebraska this season was scheduled for 11 a.m. instead of prime time.

Some reports say that the SEC got almost twice as much as the Big 12 in TV money in fiscal year 2020. The SEC has a new deal with ESPN that will have an even bigger payout. The Big 12 has had difficulty negotiating better deals with Fox and ESPN. The existence of Texas’ Longhorn Network complicates the situation.

It’s debatable whether a switch to the SEC in football would add prestige to OU and Texas. OU is a perennial Top 10 finisher in football and has dominated the Big 12 Championship the last 10 years.

There are other potential negative consequences.

Oklahoma and Texas would be forced to pay “exit fees” if they bolted for the SEC. Nebraska paid $9.25 million, Colorado paid $6.86 million, and Missouri and Texas A&M both paid $12.4 million to leave the Big 12. It is uncertain how much Oklahoma and Texas would have to pay.

Eleven of 14 SEC members would have to vote to admit OU and Texas. Texas A&M, which wants only one SEC member in the State of Texas, would probably vote no due to the their distaste for Texas and Missouri would vote  no vote because Texas is one of the reason they left the Big 12.

And SEC members in the East Division – including Florida and Georgia – might balk at having a realignment that moves Alabama and Auburn east. And a new West Division might shy away from the addition of OU and Texas.