Big 12 Executive Committee Meets With Oklahoma and Texas With Offer

STILLWATER – Sunday afternoon the Big 12 Executive Committee and Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby made a plea, what sounds like a financial plea, in meeting virtually with University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz and University of Texas President Jay Hartzell. The Big 12 Executive Committee consists of Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanec and Baylor University President Linda Livingstone.

The Big 12 released this statement on the meeting on their website.

“The meeting was cordial, and the Executive Committee expressed a willingness to discuss proposals that would strengthen the Conference and be mutually beneficial to OU and UT, as well as the other member institutions of the Conference,” Bowlsby stated. “I expect that we will continue our conversations in the days ahead and we look forward to discussing thoughts, ideas and concepts that may be of shared interest and impact.” 

Those proposals could consist of the eight members pooling together some of their shares of conference revenue to pay Oklahoma and Texas a share and a half instead of their normal share, which is already slightly higher than the others. The approximate amount of a share and a half would be $56 million. 

Pokes Report understands that when this was discussed on Thursday night in a meeting of the Big 12 CEOs and athletic directors, that it was not unanimous and at least two schools balked at the idea of paying OU and UT more conference revenue money. 

It will be interesting to see how this moves forward. Although, it is very hard to think it will deter the Sooners and the Longhorns from moving. Nor would it be likely to deter the other eight schools from having a lack of faith and a high amount of distrust for Texas and Oklahoma moving forward.

No word on the reaction of Oklahoma State University President Dr. Kayse Shrum and the Oklahoma State leadership group on this situation. We do know Dr. Shrum was briefed this afternoon after the meeting by Baylor University President and Oklahoma State alum Linda Livingstone.