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CBS Sports report: Fox potentially inhibiting Texas, Oklahoma's early exit from Big 12 to SEC

On3 imageby:Andrew Graham•10/14/22•

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(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the SEC prior to 2025 — when their expiring grant of rights would allow such a move without having to pay gaudy sums to their soon-to-be ex-conference — was always going to lighten pocket books in Norman and Austin. Now Dennis Dodd and Chip Patterson of CBS Sports are reporting such an early departure might cost even more than expected.

On top of the massive exit fees paid out to the Big 12 conference itself, Texas and Oklahoma might have to shell out something to keep Fox — one of the league’s current broadcast partners — satiated in the event of an early exit for the SEC.

The report notes that “sources told Dodd that Fox would likely have demanded a return to make its future programming whole, including a top-tier selection of games years into the future given the marquee programs would have left its airwaves early. That’s beyond what would have been a potentially massive early exit fee the programs would have needed to pay the Big 12 directly.”

ESPN is the other current broadcast partner for the Big 12, and will also be the lone broadcast partner for the SEC in 2025 when Texas and Oklahoma are certain to join.

Big 12 adopting a new scheduling model for future years, including Texas and Oklahoma

The Big 12 finds itself in an awkward situation over the next two years thanks to conference realignment. For now, Texas and Oklahoma will be staying until the 2025 season, while BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF joining for 2023. Scheduling has been a big question and according to a report, the Big 12 has found its solution.

According to Ross Dellenger for Sports Illustrated, the Big 12 has agreed on a temporary, two-year scheduling format for football. Although it’s a 14-team conference, there will be no divisions. “Long-standing” rivalries, such as Texas-Oklahoma, will also be protected per the report.

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“Conference executives agreed to the temporary, two-year format during meetings earlier this week in Dallas, sources tell Sports Illustrated,” Dellenger said. “They have not officially adopted the model and are still finalizing details.”

Nine conference games will continue to be the number for the Big 12, although the round-robin format will be no more. Whoever winds up being the top two teams in the conference will meet up at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for the Big 12 Championship game.

Assuming Texas and Oklahoma remain in the conference until the 2025 season, the expectation is to get everybody to face off against one another at least once over the two-year period. However, five rivalries are going to be protected, per Dellenger, and played no matter what.

Of the 10 teams currently in the Big 12, Iowa State and Texas Tech are the only two without a projected protected rivalry.

For the first time since joining the Big 12, West Virginia will have a regional rival to play. They go back with Cincinnati to the Big East days but have not met on the field since 2011.

On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this report