The college sports world was flipped upside down for a brief period this past summer when Texas and Oklahoma announced plans to depart the Big 12 for the SEC. Since then, the rough waters of conference realignment have calmed down a bit.
The Big 12 found its replacements in BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. The American, as part of the domino effect, found its replacements from C-USA. So on and so forth.
The big question since then has been when Texas and Oklahoma would make the jump. The current grant of rights contract in place holds both schools through the 2025 season. However, every contract can be bought out or worked around. As a result, many anticipate the departing Big 12 schools to join the SEC before 2025. Then again, a new report would suggest otherwise.
Dennis Dodd, over at CBS Sports, says the Big 12 plans to create two divisions of seven teams each that would begin play in 2023.
Once Texas and Oklahoma depart for the SEC (at a time to be determined later by their lawyers), the Big 12 has a list of schools that want in and can add value. The league could stay at 12 teams, but it doesn't have to. There are options left in The American like Memphis - a university that just received Carnegie R1 designation (because academics still count). It's also two seasons removed from a Cotton Bowl (because football counts more).
Either way, the important thing is that the Big 12 will have divisions in football again, beginning in 2023. That means only one more season of a guaranteed rematch in the Big 12 Conference Championship Game.