Big 12 Sends Cease-and-Desist Letter To ESPN

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Published on July 29 2021 6:06 am
Last Updated on July 29 2021 6:06 am

One day after Texas and Oklahoma requested to  join the Southeastern Conference in 2025, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby accused ESPN of encouraging other conferences to pick apart the league so the two schools can move to the SEC more quickly and without paying a big buyout.

The Big 12 sent a cease-and-desist letter to ESPN, and Bowlsby told AP, “I have absolute certainty that [ESPN] have been involved in manipulating other conferences to go after our members.”

ESPN signed a $3 billion deal with the SEC last year that will give the network the broadcast rights to all the conference’s football games starting in 2024. ESPN said the claims have “no merit.”