If ESPN really was sloppy enough to leave evidence that they're complicit in this then by all means bend them over and ram it in without lube. It'll be nice to see a corporation of that size actually get smacked the **** around for once because of these bullshit antics.

It’s a wild guess on my part but, if it’s not just slapping at the water trying to not drown their confidence to me indicates that the smoking gun could be coming from one or more of the schools that was approached bringing forth communications about the proposal[s].

Schools who left before weren’t locked into a GOR with four years left. In the Big12 you have to give 12 hour notice of talking to another conference, Texas and Oklahoma are rumored to have been doing it for 6-9 months. ESPN who has contracts with with Big12, trying to end the Big12 for their own gain isn’t exactly legal.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...om-conference/

"I have every expectation that Oklahoma and Texas will do whatever they can to not meet their [contractual] obligations. That's what they've done so far. ... One of the ways the two schools and ESPN will seek to absolve themselves of the obligation is to destabilize the league and cause an implosion of the other eight members.

"I am absolutely certain ESPN employees have discussed and provided incentives for at least one conference to raid 3-5 members from the Big 12. In doing so, they are prepared to reward them with future television proceeds. If the conference goes away as an entity, Oklahoma and Texas could be relieved from their exit obligations. Those obligations at this time would include the payment of $70M to $80M -- two years full revenue -- per school and leaving their media rights with the Big 12.

"We're just not going to sit still and let somebody who is supposed to be our partner collaborate and disrupt our business. I know with certainty they are doing it relative to one conference. I suspect they have done the same thing in moving Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC."

New Conference re-alignment thread
 

I don’t think Bowlsby phrases it as strongly as he did today without something to back it up. But it’s just window dressing for the settlement agreement

Nobody has ever done less with more than Texas

Basically this

This may very well end up being FOX vs Disney for the control of college football into the future.

We’ll see. Disney is one of the most powerful corporations in the world. They own roughly 40% of ALL cinema and staff the best attorneys on the planet. They got caught literally plagiarizing illustrations (like, dead to rights) for Lion King and never paid a red cent for it. They have singlehandedly kept Mickey from going into the public domain for decades because every time he’s due (will be due again in 2025) legislators pass a law extended ALL of corporations their rights to keep their content out of the public domain. Did Disney get caught with their pants down? Looks like it. Will they pay for it? If they do, it’ll be the first time.

There’s no way in hell OU and Texas are staying until 2025…come on lol.

You’d think these other schools would start being more proactive about securing a place elsewhere (and I’m sure some are) instead of clinging on to the 2 schools that don’t want to be there….

ESPN and other media companies could be allies for the remaining Big 12 teams to help show their potential value addition in terms of media rights with the other power conferences.

That seems to be in the better long term interest for the remaining schools than joining Bowlsby’s pissing match with ESPN that ultimately is not going to save the Big 12.

Even Bowlsby knows that. He's trying to ensure that UT and OU pay the exit fees, and possibly a hell of a lot more money from ESPN if he has legitimate proof of what he alleged.

You’d think so but it’s Bowlsby so who knows lol…

Nah, he said as much in the Athletic interview.

Edit: sorry, it was on Ross Dellengers Twitter

Well, they haven’t had much to smile about in the 10 years since leaving. Maybe this can cheer them up.