Reports say Big 12 fighting back … at ESPN; Aggies voting yes

Well, things may be getting interesting now that Texas and Oklahoma have officially told the Big 12 what they are going to do.

And Thursday’s vote is probably going to be unanimous:

Here is the official statement from Wednesday’s Board of Regents meeting, approving Dr. Banks to support SEC expansion: pic.twitter.com/6PF2ZFndTt

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) July 28, 2021

But the main news of the day is the Big 12 making a rather futile attempt at trying to keeping things together by sending ESPN a cease-and-desist letter.

According to Pete Thamel at Yahoo Sports, now the lawyers are getting involved.

Here’s ESPN’s response to the Big 12 letter: “The claims in the letter have no merit.”

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 28, 2021

Here’s the heart of why the Big 12 is so angry at ESPN and took this unprecedented step, per sources. The Big 12 claims to have hard evidence of ESPN and at least one other league essentially plotting to undermine the Big 12.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 28, 2021

Bob Bowlsby isn’t messing around. Wow. https://t.co/0290qkMhjV

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 28, 2021

Breaking: The Big 12 has sent a “cease and desist” letter to ESPN. The letter demands ESPN end “all actions that may harm the conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference’s existing members…. 1/2

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 28, 2021

This also lends some credibility to the reports earlier today that ESPN was being the chief broker in the Longhorns and Sooners apparently heading to the SEC.

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There will be updates to that story that sounds like it may mean something, but has nothing to do with Texas and OU, but a desperate attempt to keep ESPN from trying to broker deals for other schools.

Meanwhile, it was reported late Wednesday afternoon by Chip Brown of Horns247 that a high-level source said the SEC presidents were expected Thursday to approve the two teams becoming the 15th and 16th members of the conference.

Horns247 also reported Tuesday, according to a source, that the roughly $160 million ESPN still owes Texas for the final 10 years of a 20-year, $300 million contract for the Longhorn Network could be used for the Big 12 buyouts of Texas and Oklahoma.

ESPN has a vested interest in getting Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC by 2024, when ESPN takes over exclusive broadcast rights to football and men’s basketball in the SEC.