Big 12 accuses ESPN of tampering with conference's schools; sends cease and desist letter

On3 imageby:Zack Geoghegan07/28/21

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The Big 12 is Big Mad right now.

Not long after it was announced that Oklahoma and Texas have requested to join the Southeastern Conference in 2025, the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, Bob Bowlsby, sent a cease and desist letter to ESPN. Bowlsby and the Big 12 claim that ESPN is trying to break up the rest of the conference’s teams for financial gain. In the letter, Bowlsby alleges that ESPN conspired to help lure Oklahoma and Texas away from the Big 12 and to the SEC, adding that ESPN is now actively trying to make other Big 12 programs leave the conference, as well.

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports first broke the news.

“The Big 12 Conference demands that ESPN immediately cease and desist all actions that may harm the conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference’s existing members or any NCAA conference regarding the Big 12 conference’s members, possible conference realignment or potential financial incentive or outcomes related to possible conference realignment,” part of the letter reads.

ESPN has responded to multiple outlets by stating that “the claims in the letter have no merit”. CBS Sports reports that ESPN has been in contact with the American Athletic Conference about taking on some of the remaining Big 12 schools. But the real meat of this story is the signature by commissioner Bowlsby, which looks more like several double-u’s connected to form one long squiggly line.

Back to the point, though: the Big 12’s commissioner appears adamant that ESPN played a significant role in Oklahoma and Texas leaving the conference for the SEC. He also believes that the World Wide Leader is still trying to poach the remaining teams in the conference and shipping them elsewhere.

If the entire Big 12 conference disbands prior to Oklahoma and Texas leaving in 2025, it could open a path for those two programs to join the SEC even earlier.

This could get ugly…

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2024-03-29