Yesterday the Big 12 announced the formal departure of Oklahoma and Texas who will join the SEC in 2024 and the fee will be $100 million combined. That link is via CBS Sports but you can find the news story pretty much anywhere.

The negotiated $100 million early exit fee the Big 12 will receive from Texas and Oklahoma for not being part of the league’s media package in 2025 — down from a sum that could have totaled as much as $168 million — will likely be used to make whole those eight legacy programs.

In a separate deal, Texas and Oklahoma agreed to pay cash to Fox in exchange for their games leaving the network a year early, sources told Dodd.

Furthermore, a scheduled two-game series between Texas and Michigan has seen a location swap, according to multiple reports. The Wolverines will now host the Longhorns in 2024, allowing the game to air on Fox, with UT hosting UM in 2027 on ESPN.

CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodds does write that the Big 12 now turns towards expansion:

The reason for any Big 12 expansion: moving West. Yormark seeks game inventory in the Pacific Time Zone, which would allow the once Midwest-based league to stretch from coast to coast. More importantly, it would give the Big 12 a presence in all four primary television “windows” — noon, 3:30, primetime and late night (based on the Eastern Time Zone).

Going forward, the SEC and Big Ten will dominate those first three windows. Having a presence in the fourth window would give the Big 12 some level of exclusivity. (ESPN is also interested in partnering with the Pac-12 for late-night games.)

While it’s not clear whether the Big 12 could get pro rata (equal value of $31.66 million per year) for any new members, it may not matter that much. Schools are desperate to improve their standing in what might be the last round of realignment for the next decade.

Dodds notes that the Pac-12 is looking towards SMU and San Diego State, but because the Pac-12 has failed to negotiate a new deal, perhaps it being problematic that the Big 12 leapfrogged over the Pac-12 in negotiating a new television deal, and a chunk of the Pac-12 will be relegated to online platforms.

Hell yeah.

Huge congrats to former Red Raider footballer Zach Thomas for being member named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2023! Fitting that Jimmy Johnson introduced Zach.

Your 2023 @ProFootballHOF Class!

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— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2023

Huge congrats to former Red Raider footballer for being named the 2022 NFL Most Valuable Player!

Another MVP for Patrick Mahomes!@PatrickMahomes | @Invisalign

📺: #NFLHonors on NBC pic.twitter.com/WnnCROpecV

— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2023