Big 12 Football: Where does conference go from here?

The news of Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 has sent shockwaves throughout college football. What happens to the remaining eight?

The rich keep getting richer.

Texas and Oklahoma made it official that they won’t be renewing their media rights contract with the Big 12 conference when it expires in 2025. It’s not confirmed as to where they’re going to land, but it’s the worst kept secret in sports exactly where they’re going.

The Longhorns and Sooners will be joining a number of former conference rivals from both the Big 12 as well as old school Southwest Conference and Big Eight rivals Missouri, Texas A&M, and Arkansas in the SEC.

This move rekindles one of the biggest rivalries in all of college football, the Texas A&M/Texas rivalry, which hasn’t been played since a Thanksgiving night thriller in 2011.

Surely this is a major move that has many implications, not just in football. Both programs will add a lot on the football field, but also in basketball and baseball.

Texas and Oklahoma are huge winners in this situation. But the losers are the remaining eight programs. What happens to them and Big 12 football now?

There are basically two options: replace or dissolve. And unfortunately, the remaining eight programs may take that choice right out of the hands of Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby.

If the Big 12 were to try to replace Oklahoma and Texas, it needs to keep this in mind: there is no replacing Oklahoma and Texas. Short of bringing in Notre Dame, which isn’t happening, you can’t just up and replace two of the bluest of Blue Bloods of college athletics. With that in mind, does Big 12 football go for quality or quantity? It can do both.