Big 12 deputy commissioner takes massive shot at Texas, Oklahoma

It was bound to happen at some point this season, someone in the league calling out the two biggest brands as Texas and Oklahoma are headed for the exits with the Big 12 after the 2023-24 season. The source of the scorched earth was a bit surprising, though: Big 12 deputy commissioner Tim Weiser, formerly the athletic director at Kansas State.

During an interview with KC Sports Network at Big 12 media days on Thursday, Weiser did not hold back. And he said it wasn’t really about the money for either program.

“I continue to maintain that the choice Texas made wasn’t a financial one. Because we all know what Texas resources are like. I think there’s was more about affiliating with a group of schools that — on a given Saturday, they would rather get beat by Alabama than they would Kansas State. Or Florida than Iowa State. That, I think, was really what was driving the way they looked out down the road,” Weiser said of the Longhorns decision to move on.

All that was missing was a horns down and a reminder that Texas already lost to Alabama last year as a member of the Big 12.

As for the Sooners? Once their clear peer in the league was on the outs, Weiser thought they felt the pressure to go along and not lose the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry.

“And in Oklahoma’s case, I’m not as convinced that that was the issue for them. I think they were more of what I would call ‘the reluctant bride’ that kind of felt like, ‘Wow, if we don’t go, what happens to the Texas-OU football game? Basketball?’ All the things that we know from an OU and Texas standpoint are really important,” Weiser said. “So, I kind of felt like if I was in Oklahoma’s case, it would’ve been hard for me not to think about the longterm and don’t we want to be affiliated with Texas and now these other schools?”

On the other side of the departure coin, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian doesn’t think it’ll be awkward

While at Big 12 media days, Sarkisian said that everyone currently at Texas came to play and compete in the Big 12. So, there’s no reason for it to be an awkward situation from their point of view.

“It won’t be awkward for us. I can’t speak for anybody else,” Steve Sarkisian said. “It won’t be awkward for us. We’ve got a roster full of players who quite frankly came to the University of Texas to try to win a Big 12 Championship, and we’ve got one more opportunity to do that, and I think our guys are focused on that.”

With the four new teams already in the Big 12, the league is in a transitional season while waiting for Texas and Oklahoma to make it to the SEC. This may not be an awkward situation for Sarkisian and Texas, but it’s easy to see where it would be awkward for others involved.

“And so it won’t be awkward from our end, but like I said, I can’t speak for everybody else.”