Big 12 warns of losing 50% of TV value following UT/OU exit

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AUSTIN, Texas – The Big 12 Conference could spot the worth of its tv woody chopped successful fractional erstwhile Texas and Oklahoma bolt for the Southeastern Conference, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said Monday astatine a proceeding of Texas lawmakers.

A committee of Texas senators heard grounds from assemblage leaders astatine Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech connected the monetary and world losses that league realignment would mean for the Big 12 and its members once Texas and Oklahoma permission for the SEC successful 2025.

University of Texas astatine Austin President Jay Hartzell testified that the way to making the power became wide “into the summer,” and that UT told Bowlsby that successful a telephone pursuing quality of the move. Hartzell said the schoolhouse would "continue to grant each agreements.”

“Up until the infinitesimal you deed nonstop connected the decision, you are ever thinking, ‘Is this the close happening for the University of Texas astatine Austin?’” Hartzell said.

Bowlsby has been highly captious of some Texas and Oklahoma, accusing them of plotting for months to permission the 10-member league for the almighty SEC. He besides accused ESPN of moving down the scenes to gut the Big 12, adjacent sending a cease-and-desist missive that the cablegram elephantine refuted, but backed disconnected that stance Monday: “We person agreed to not escalate this publicly. It’s successful neither party’s champion involvement to bash so.”

Of acold much involvement to the Texas lawmakers was the aboriginal of the Big 12 without the Sooners and Longhorns. Bowlsby said the TV declaration worth would instrumentality a 50% hit.

The Big 12 distributed $345 cardinal to its 10 members this twelvemonth ($34.5 cardinal apiece), down from the erstwhile twelvemonth due to the fact that of the pandemic. Most of that gross comes from the Big 12′s TV deals, including ESPN. The SEC is positioned to administer arsenic overmuch arsenic $70 cardinal annually to its members successful coming years.

Bowlsby said helium supported the thought of the remaining Big 12 teams sticking unneurotic and said they are exploring their options. He said helium wouldn't blasted immoderate schoolhouse for looking retired for themselves first, but “there is simply a close mode to bash it.”

Members of the Senate sheet focused their questions connected the economical interaction to Texas cities specified arsenic Fort Worth, Waco and Lubbock, the homes of the Big 12 Texas schools being near behind. Baylor President Linda Livingstone told the committee that “the livelihood” of immoderate Texas communities was astatine involvement since the hostile mattered successful summons income and attracting larger crowds.

Baylor diversion manager Mack Rhoades said the fiscal implications could enactment into question upcoming projects — including the gathering of a caller hoops arena — and impact world opportunities for students. Rhoades said the school, similar others impacted, volition besides conflict to pull and support endowment connected the tract and successful coaching staffs.

“The economical interaction is real,” Rhoades said little than 4 months aft the men's hoops squad won the NCAA championship. “If we are nary longer a subordinate of a Power Five, we volition merchantability little tickets, we volition merchantability little merchandise, we volition rise little wealth and we volition person little firm sponsorship.”

Texas A&M officials didn’t judge invitations to attest astatine the hearing, according to authorities Sen. Jane Nelson, who chaired the committee. Texas A&M left the Big 12 for the SEC successful 2012.

Nelson told authorities representatives contiguous astatine the proceeding that she was atrocious the House enclosure could not perceive grounds connected the taxable owed to a deficiency of quorum aft over 50 Democratic Texas representatives near the authorities to artifact for a 2nd clip the transition of caller authorities voting restrictions.

The Legislature's special session called by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ends this week, and helium has vowed to telephone different league to guarantee the transition of the voting bills.

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Acacia Coronado is simply a corps subordinate for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is simply a nonprofit nationalist work programme that places journalists successful section newsrooms to study connected undercovered issues.

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