ESPN's Marty Smith stopped by Oklahoma State offices to chat with Mike Gundy. Gundy is one of the first Big 12 coaches to discuss Oklahoma's and Texas's expected exit to SEC. Gundy was asked about the future of B12.

"I wish I knew," Gundy told Smith. "You hear people talk about ultimately there's going to be a Power 4. In my opinion, if I was in meetings behind closed doors would I say that's a probability? I'd say yes. Again, somebody else might make that decision. Could there be teams that jump in and say we're going to continue as Power 5? I think that's marketable. I think the television, ESPN, they're gonna have a big, big say in that."

"They're the ones representing television dollars, and they make those decisions." Ultimately, that's who's going to make the decisions in my opinion."

For now, Oklahoma and Texas are tied to the league until current TV rights deals run out in 2025, unless the schools pay hefty fees to buy out those contracts.

Gundy told Smith, "The goal, from what I hear, is that this league stays intact to 2024."

I think you can take away from his statement that the league can not remain at 8 and remain P5 past the next bowl negotiations. If they were to stay at 8, the conferences would collapse to P4.

I'd be a little weary of talking to anyone from ESPN. Ain't they the one reportedly trying to undermine the conference and those unfortunate enough to be left in it.

Basically the "real" timeline is then"

XII dissolves in 2024.
OU/UT to the SEC in 2024.
12 team playoff begins in 2024 (two years early).

He’s a man! He’s … holy **** he’s 53?

(07-30-2021 01:51 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  Basically the "real" timeline is then"

XII dissolves in 2024.
OU/UT to the SEC in 2024.
12 team playoff begins in 2024 (two years early).

2024 would be the full four years of Football. And i think that is what he meant, no early exit for Oklahoma and Texas. They will play the 2024-25 in the Big 12 until further notice.

The Little-8 have not yet decided on the course of action, whether to let Texas and Oklahoma out early or not. Right now no one sees any advantage to letting Texas and Oklahoma leave early. No financial benefit, no recruiting benefit, no profile advantage. Emotional baggage is not enough when talking the level of money involved here. And there is no playoff incentive either, since that looks like the 2026 season, the second year Texas and Oklahoma would be in the SEC.

So no on all three counts. No Texas and Oklahoma will not be leaving a year early (yet), no the expanded playoff are not moved up (yet) and no dissolving of the Big 12 (why? much as ESPN wants).

The Playoff would be the hardest to move up. The earlier exit seems more probable than Texas and OU staying four years, but if so the Little 8 will have plenty of time to chart the Big 12 path after they leave. The only certain thing is ESPN's relationship with the Big 12 will likely end in 2025.

(08-01-2021 06:40 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  

(07-30-2021 01:51 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  Basically the "real" timeline is then"

XII dissolves in 2024.
OU/UT to the SEC in 2024.
12 team playoff begins in 2024 (two years early).

2024 would be the full four years of Football. And i think that is what he meant, no early exit for Oklahoma and Texas. They will play the 2024-25 in the Big 12 until further notice.

The Little-8 have not yet decided on the course of action, whether to let Texas and Oklahoma out early or not. Right now no one sees any advantage to letting Texas and Oklahoma leave early. No financial benefit, no recruiting benefit, no profile advantage. Emotional baggage is not enough when talking the level of money involved here. And there is no playoff incentive either, since that looks like the 2026 season, the second year Texas and Oklahoma would be in the SEC.

So no on all three counts. No Texas and Oklahoma will not be leaving a year early (yet), no the expanded playoff are not moved up (yet) and no dissolving of the Big 12 (why? much as ESPN wants).

The Playoff would be the hardest to move up. The earlier exit seems more probable than Texas and OU staying four years, but if so the Little 8 will have plenty of time to chart the Big 12 path after they leave. The only certain thing is ESPN's relationship with the Big 12 will likely end in 2025.

So it's Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, and Oklahoma vying for 4 spots for the next 4 years.

And possibly a Pac-12 school that can manage to go 12-1 or Notre Dame going 11-1

Isn't a bigger question is Mike Gundy going to be around after the 2023 season or will he be fired or retire prior to that ?