One of the biggest conference switches in modern college football history may apparently be on the verge of happening.
Texas and Oklahoma are expected to start the process of joining the SEC next week, sources told Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel.
The Longhorns and Sooners have been in communication with the SEC for more than a year, Thamel adds. The conference requires at least 11 approval votes from its 14 university presidents to pass an extension.
Texas A&M is the only SEC program publicly opposed to the move so far.
Texas and Oklahoma have yet to officially express their intention to leave the conference to the remaining members, according to ESPN's David M. Hale.
Moving out of the Big 12 before the conference's grant of media rights expire in 2025 would reportedly cost Texas and Oklahoma $76 million each. However, the two schools are prepared to wait until the rights run out to join the SEC, sources told Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger.
Other conferences - including the ACC - have also made inquires to Oklahoma and Texas, Thamel reports.
The remaining eight Big 12 schools are starting to work on contingency plans and assessing their potential values to other conferences, sources told The Athletic's Bruce Feldman and Sam Khan Jr. One scenario they recently discussed was a 20-school merger with the Pac-12.
Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff said Friday the conference isn't actively looking to add more schools, but he won't completely rule that possibility out.
"We'd be foolish not to listen if schools call us," he said, according to ESPN's Heather Dinich.
