Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby spoke candidly about the departure of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, making his disappointment in the move evident. “I can't say that I've gotten any sort of precise description of why they took the action that they took, but they don't necessarily owe us that explanation,” he said. “There's a personal element to it,” Bowlsby added of his relationships with Oklahoma and Texas ADs Joe Castiglione and Chris Del Conte. “I've been close to Joe and Chris for a long time and you would be denying human nature if you didn't admit that there were some of the feelings that come along with that. But on the other hand, you got to move on.”
Despite speculation the schools will move to the SEC sooner than planned, Bowlsby was confident the Big 12 can stay intact for the time being. “We own their media rights until 2025,” he said emphatically, referencing the conference’s grant rights and bylaws on institutions entering and exiting. “That's not to say that others may not have other ideas, but we feel like we have strength in those two documents.”
