ATHENS, Ga. – If Oklahoma and Texas are going to join the SEC, it's going to take a major commitment from Mickey Mouse.
Disney, the parent company of ABC and ESPN, just brokered a deal in December to take over as the SEC's primary broadcast partner when the league's current agreement with CBS expires after the 2023 season. That new pact was reported to be worth $3 billion – or $300 million a year for 10 years – for the SEC.
And the 14 existing members were quite happy with that arrangement, which guarantees SEC athletic directors substantial revenue for their budgets over the next decade.