Big 12 accuses ESPN of conspiring to kill the conference
The Big 12 sent a cease and desist letter to ESPN accusing the broadcaster of encouraging other conferences to poach its remaining members.
The Big 12 now has a bone to pick with ESPN.
With Texas and Oklahoma on the brink of joining the SEC, the conference sent a cease and desist letter to ESPN telling them to stop communicating with other conferences about poaching Big 12 teams.
“It has come to my direct attention that ESPN, the current business partner of the Big 12 Conference, has taken certain actions that are intended to not only harm the Big 12 Conference but to result in financial benefits for ESPN,” said commissioner Bob Bowlsby in the letter, posted by Max Olson of The Athletic.
The letter goes on to suggest ESPN had “potential involvement” in Texas and Oklahoma’s decision to leave the conference for the SEC and has been “actively engaged in discussions” with another conference about adding member schools from the Big 12.
The Big 12 thinks ESPN is conspiring to get out of their massive TV deal
According to Brett McMurphy of Stadium, the Big 12 thinks ESPN is encouraging schools to leave for other conferences so the Big 12 will dissolve.
“If the Big 12 implodes, ESPN not responsible for final 4 years of deal, worth $1.06 billion,” McMurphy tweeted.
Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated confirmed those accusations with Bowlsby himself.
Bowlsby: "It causes me to further suspect they (ESPN) had their hands all over the Texas and Oklahoma move to the SEC. They were was deceptive as you can possibly be. There are right and wrong ways to these things. They sought to deceive us from the very beginning."
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 28, 2021
A source told Dellenger the conference allegedly in conversations with SEC about taking Big 12 members is the American Athletic Conference.
Those are some serious allegations. They’re unproven but also plausible. After all, conference realignment has been the talk of the college football world ever since word of the Longhorns and Sooners move to the SEC emerged. Speculation has been rampant about West Virginia going to the ACC, Iowa State to the Big Ten and schools like Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma State and Baylor landing with the Pac-12.
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