The Big 12 is "not expected to extend its grant of rights -- the contract that essentially keeps the conference together -- no matter the outcome of expansion talks," according to sources cited by Dennis Dodd of CBSSPORTS.com. Sources said that for Texas and Oklahoma alone, it is "difficult to find support to extend the grant of rights past its expiration" in '25. Those two schools are "thought to have the most conference options" when the 13-year, $2.6B media rights contract with ESPN and Fox expires in eight years. Dodd noted none of this means the conference is "on life support," as there "continues to be a worth to advertisers of having a major conference in the middle of the country." Texas and Oklahoma also may "eventually decide their best chance of winning championships [is to] continue to be in the Big 12." Because of that, no school is "expected to leave the conference" prior to that '25 expiration "unless it mounts a massive legal challenge." Three of four other Power Five conferences have "similar grant of rights stipulations that basically limits any movement before the middle of the next decade." The SEC is the "only conference that does not due to its unwavering strength and loyalty from its member institutions." Sources added that there is "still no tangible momentum for Big 12 expansion at the moment." Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby "acknowledged that one option with ESPN and Fox could be the networks paying the league not to expand." The current contract "calls for those rightsholders to pay pro rata -- current equal value revenue -- to any new teams entering the league" (CBSSPORTS.com, 10/4).
