The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas on Friday defied the Big 12’s fury and agreed to defect to the Southeastern Conference, college football’s mightiest league and a juggernaut with few equals in American sports.
The eventual moves by Oklahoma and Texas will increase the size of the SEC, which already includes powers like Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana State, to 16 universities and ultimately drive tens of millions of new dollars into the league. But the repercussions are already being felt well beyond the conference, upending the tenuous landscape of big-time college athletics by reshuffling the broadcast, competitive and political alliances that are the industry’s underpinnings.