Social Media is buzzing with the potential “super conference” looking to start in the SEC with the additions of Oklahoma and Texas from the Big 12. Social Media users are speculating whether this is a good move for the two schools.

Rumors have surfaced from “Big 12 Conference executives” that the Universities of Texas and Oklahoma could be seeking an exit from the Big 12 Conference for the greener pastures of the SEC. Now the rumors are considered factual, even though the schools refuse to comment on them. Potential divisional breakdowns have been released, too, and the entire scenario is rather exciting.

The SEC would have to receive 11 “yes” votes from the president schools. According to Yahoo Sports Pete Thamel, that wouldn’t be an issue. Texas A&M has come out strongly against the proposition that they want to be a “standalone Texas school.” Oklahoma State has also vocalized against it, as they would potentially lose a big rivalry game.

Questions have surfaced on social media regarding the brands of Texas and Oklahoma. Would it be harder to recruit or collect positives from such a drastic move?

The state of the Big 12 following NIL laws

We must remember that these decisions are always about money. Creating a sixteen-school “super conference” would generate immeasurable income. With the new Name, Image, and Likeness laws (NIL), the Big 12 finds themselves in a bit of a pickle.

The two schools that are propping the conference up as a power-five conference are Oklahoma and Texas. The two blue-blood schools have mostly dominated the conference in recent memory. Outside of those two schools, this conference struggles to recruit and often falls victim to bias. Remember, TCU and Baylor have both put up seasons over the last decade that could, and possibly should, have landed them in the race for a National Championship appearance. It hasn’t, however, leaving them just barely on the outside looking in.

This is because the Big 12 doesn’t have the name brand to drive it. The schools within it are inconsistent from year to year and struggle in big out-of-conference games. Granted, the situation isn’t as dire as the PAC-12’s is currently, but that’s only because Oklahoma has managed to remain consistently competing for National Championships. The PAC-12 only beats upon each other.

NIL is a huge market attraction for recruits. Playing in the SEC is considered playing in a minor-professional league, especially around the NFL. With the Big 12 struggling to generate the NIL income outside of Oklahoma and Texas, it is understandable why these schools are looking for another way around it. They could offer more NIL opportunities to their students simply by competing in the SEC alone.

Can Texas and Oklahoma compete in the SEC early?

In recent memory, Oklahoma and Texas have performed competitively against other SEC schools. Texas took down Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and went toe-to-toe with the National Champion LSU Tigers in 2019. Oklahoma went into double overtime against the National Championship-bound Georgia Bulldogs in 2017.

Above, I posted some raw data to really help us understand where these two schools are concerning the SEC competitively. Let’s go over the facts:

• Combined, Texas and Oklahoma are 14-13 against SEC schools since 1998.
• The rest of the conference is 19-25 in that span.
• Two of the last four losses were one-possession games.
• Three of the last four losses were to eventual National Champions.

I don’t think the concern is valid that these two schools won’t be competitive in the SEC.

What will happen to the Big 12 if this happens?

The Big 12 will be reduced to just eight schools if Texas and Oklahoma bolt for the SEC. Their top programs would turn to Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and TCU. The Big 12 would be in danger of folding if they can’t attract other schools to help them rebuild their tarnished reputation. It would not be easy to attract them for sure – even with a FOX television deal.

Competing against the SEC wouldn’t be bad for Oklahoma and Texas at all. The lucrative television deals the SEC has with ESPN and CBS are enough to bring any school in that can. With their historical reputations, it would legitimately make the SEC the undisputed best conference in the country, placing them miles ahead of the Big Ten. They could adopt slogans such as “The National Championship passes through the SEC” or whatever else they can make up. It would all be true.

This makes sense for all the parties involved. The money would be endless. In a couple of short years, these two schools could be powerhouses in the conference as well, placing themselves at the front of SEC recruiting battles.

Do it. This would be a great move for college football.