Texas and Oklahoma have made it official: They are SEC-bound in 2024. The Big 12 and its television partners approved the deal on Feb. 9, allowing the schools to leave a year earlier than initially expected. The Big 12 requires the Longhorns and Sooners to pay a total of $100 million over the next two years, per Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated. This money will be largely used to supplement remaining legacy schools that are expected to decrease in 2024 revenue.
Many have long expected the schools to move to the SEC. However, this deal speeds up that exit. Television contracts made an early exit unlikely. In order to help Fox, Texas agreed to switch home games with Michigan in 2024, allowing Fox to televise the game, as starting that year, ESPN has the rights to the SEC. Furthermore, both Oklahoma and Texas will pay cash to Fox since their games are leaving a season early.
The SEC is deciding between two potential schedule formats. One option involves eight league games with one fixed opponent. The other has nine league games with three permanent opponents. According to Adam Silverstein of CBS, the SEC is leaning towards the nine-game alternative but wants additional funds from ESPN. Conference executives will likely deliberate on the issue at the spring meetings in March.
The Big 12, meanwhile, is adding other schools to the conference that indirectly replace the two legacy teams leaving. On July 1, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston will all be conference members. Thus, the Big 12 will be a 14-team league next season for the first time in the conference’s history.
Indeed, this makes the 2024 NCAA football season one marked with immense change. As pointed out by Nicole Auerbach, not only do Oklahoma and Texas play for the first time in the SEC, but USC and UCLA will also begin Big Ten play, and 12 teams will make the College Football Playoffs for the first time ever. Furthermore, including the addition of NIL and the increased influence of the transfer portal, one thing is clear. College football is entering a new era.
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