Houston, Cincinnati, UCF planning to join Big 12 for 23-24 academic year

[BattleshipTexas]

Houston, Cincinnati, UCF planning to join Big 12 for 23-24 academic year​

Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF are all currently moving forward with the idea that they will join the Big 12 for the 23-24 academic year, multiple sources told FanDuel.

BYU --- who is also joining the Big 12 --- has already officially announced that it will leave the WCC and join the conference for the 23-24 academic year in all sports except men's volleyball.

While several sources directly connected to Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF told FanDuel that there are still many logistical things to work through in order to join the Big 12 in 2023, all three programs are still operating with the notion that the upcoming 22-23 season will be their last year in the American Athletic Conference.

A source close to the AAC told FanDuel that conversations are ongoing with the exit fees for Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF.

AAC bylaws require programs who are members of the conference to give a 27-month notice before they leave and pay a $10 million buyout fee.

AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco told ESPN last September that he would be willing to negotiate a higher exit fee for Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF if they were to depart from the AAC at an earlier date than originally anticipated. All three schools will join the Big 12 no later than July 1st, 2024.

Texas and Oklahoma are both planning to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC for the 25-26 academic year. Both are forgoing two years of revenue from the Big 12 in order to make the move. Texas and Oklahoma must join the SEC during the same academic year.

If Houston, UCF, and Cincinnati join the Big 12 for the 23-24 academic year and Texas and Oklahoma are still in the conference, there would be a 14-team league for both football and men's basketball for two seasons --- 23-24 and 24-25 --- until both Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC in 2025.

A separate source told FanDuel that the Big 12 is already having preliminary scheduling discussions regarding that possibility.


https://www.fanduel.com/theduel/pos...n-big-12-for-23-24-academic-year-01g1ny5qg1rs

 

[Harvard Gamecock]

Not at all suggesting this will happen, but it wouldn't surprise me if UT (maybe OU) back out of this agreement.

 

[IOPGCock]

Not at all suggesting this will happen, but it wouldn't surprise me if UT (maybe OU) back out of this agreement.

Was about to say the same. I think any financial harm legal claims the Big 12 may have are still there, but reduced by this. Perhaps the negotiation on exit fees will come down to a more palatable number.

 

[KingWard]

Not at all suggesting this will happen, but it wouldn't surprise me if UT (maybe OU) back out of this agreement.

Which agreement?

 

[ToddFlanders]

I think they’ll all end up moving early (all the teams going to all the conferences). Any agreements they had to keep schools in a conference are clearly moot anyway - everyone will just pay the cash and move. No reason to delay the inevitable - it only makes the conferences weaker in the present day to have teams that aren’t invested in the conferences’ futures hanging around.

 

[KingWard]

I think they’ll all end up moving early (all the teams going to all the conferences). Any agreements they had to keep schools in a conference are clearly moot anyway - everyone will just pay the cash and move. No reason to delay the inevitable - it only makes the conferences weaker in the present day to have teams that aren’t invested in the conferences’ futures hanging around.

That's my hope. The Big 12 seems intent on keeping Texas and Oklahoma tied up.

 

[Harvard Gamecock]

Which agreement?

Joining the SEC. Can't stress this enough, not suggesting it will happen, it just wouldn't surprise me if they decide to back out.

 

[KingWard]

Joining the SEC. Can't stress this enough, not suggesting it will happen, it just wouldn't surprise me if they decide to back out.

I don't expect it. Nothing surprises me anymore - about anything.

 

[atl-cock]

Joining the SEC. Can't stress this enough, not suggesting it will happen, it just wouldn't surprise me if they decide to back out.

I hope they do back out. And the Big XII can get their own TV "network" together.

 

[BattleshipTexas]

Joining the SEC. Can't stress this enough, not suggesting it will happen, it just wouldn't surprise me if they decide to back out.

There is zero chance of this. Trust me, Texas and OU got enough vitriol from the other Big 12 teams, it would be the last conference Texas would go to.

 

[KingWard]

I hope they do back out. And the Big XII can get their own TV "network" together.

In a rare occurrence, I disagree with you.

 

[Harvard Gamecock]

There is zero chance of this. Trust me, Texas and OU got enough vitriol from the other Big 12 teams, it would be the last conference Texas would go to.

Again, I'm not suggesting anything like this will or should happen, it just would not surprise me.

 

[Creek Snake]

If Texas and OU stayed in the Big 12 along with the incoming schools ,I don't think any new TV contract would be appreciably larger.The new schools just don't bring that much to the TV table.Thus you'd be dividing the pie by 14 instead of 10 and each school would receive a smaller payout most likely or at least not a bigger share.I think its more probable that the whole system implodes and 40 or so schools break off into a super league.

 

[atl-cock]

In a rare occurrence, I disagree with you.

I think the SEC at 14 members is too big as it is.

A mutual toast to our disagreement.

 

[KingWard]

I think the SEC at 14 members is too big as it is.

A mutual toast to our disagreement.

As long as we're in the SEC, it might as well be a juggernaut. The league will be a greater fiscal and competitive behemoth than it already is. I believe it will be unassailable financially. I'm tired of having a better football league most years than the Big 10 but earning less per school than they. This will stop that.

 

[BattleshipTexas]

Again, I'm not suggesting anything like this will or should happen, it just would not surprise me.

It should surprise you. You aren't following the anger between Texas/OU and the remaining Big 12 teams. If something interfered with Texas to the SEC, I assure you Texas would go independent or run to another conference, Big Ten, ACC or even Pac-10. It would never stay in the Big 12 after the last year or two.

 

[BattleshipTexas]

If Texas and OU stayed in the Big 12 along with the incoming schools ,I don't think any new TV contract would be appreciably larger.The new schools just don't bring that much to the TV table.

You realize the Big 12 commissioner po-ed ESPN, accusing them of tampering with Texas/OU to the SEC. The Big 12 isn't getting another dime from ESPN. Which totally cuts any negotiating leverage that the Big 12 has with Fox Sports. The way conferences get $$$ is a bidding war between ESPN and Fox and maybe another network. With ESPN out, the Big 12 will have no leverage at all in TV negotiations with the remainder. The next Big 12 TV contract will be 60% of the previous and spread over more teams.

 

[atl-cock]

You realize the Big 12 commissioner po-ed ESPN, accusing them of tampering with Texas/OU to the SEC. The Big 12 isn't getting another dime from ESPN. Which totally cuts any negotiating leverage that the Big 12 has with Fox Sports. The way conferences get $$$ is a bidding war between ESPN and Fox and maybe another network. With ESPN out, the Big 12 will have no leverage at all in TV negotiations with the remainder. The next Big 12 TV contract will be 60% of the previous and spread over more teams.

Schools, not teams.

 

[KingWard]

Schools, not teams.

Athletic departments mostly.