The story for the past year or so has been that in order to avoid a big fee, Oklahoma and Texas would wait until the end of the Big 12’s media rights deal before jumping ship to the SEC, but that might not end up being the case.
Among the factors that could push OU and Texas toward the door before the original date include the Big 12 signing a new media rights deal, the Big Ten adding USC and UCLA in 2024, a 12-team playoff being implemented in 2024 and the four new programs entering the Big 12 in 2023.