Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Oklahoma Football: 3 Reasons why Sooners aren’t leaving Big 12

By Michael Collins

Oct 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners ruf-nek carries an Oklahoma flag after a score against the Texas Longhorns during Red River rivalry at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners ruf-nek carries an Oklahoma flag after a score against the Texas Longhorns during Red River rivalry at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
Jul 18, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 18, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Money Talks

Just like practically everything else in college football, it’s all going to come down to money. And while Oklahoma might see dollar signs dangled before their noses by the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC, too many other interested parties will yank the Sooners leash before they wander too far off.

The biggest financial obstacle right now is the grant of rights deal owned by the Big 12. Under this agreement, the Big 12 owns all television rights for football and basketball games in the conference and would be allowed to keep those rights for any team leaving the conference until 2025.

In short, the SEC (and by proxy, ESPN) would not be allowed to broadcast and profit from Oklahoma football and basketball games for at least eight more years. That’s a dog which simply won”t hunt down south, unless Oklahoma would be willing to forfeit their share of the SEC pot-of-gold for a few seasons to buy out that television deal.

That’s not happening either.

Next: Post-Spring 2017 Top 25 Rankings

No, for now, Sooner fans will have to deal with the rebuilding process going on in the Big 12 and the shortsightedness of the conference’s leadership.

Home/Oklahoma Sooners