Texas Football: Bob Bowlsby petty about move from Big 12 to the SEC

The focus of the move for the Texas football program and Oklahoma Sooners from the Big 12 to the SEC has died down a bit as the 2021 college football season moves along. But once this season concludes, the conference realignment discussion is likely to come back in full force.

Texas and Oklahoma announced the intentions to leave the Big 12 for the SEC in the latter stages of the summer and the college football offseason. It was originally a storyline that appeared to be more of a rumor or drawn-out plan than anything else. But as the days moved along in late July and early August, the move for Texas and Oklahoma to join the SEC became more real.

Both schools were extended invitations to join the SEC as official members in a matter of weeks, not months or years.

This left the Big 12 hanging with questions looming as to whether the conference would even remain alive for another few years. But the Big 12 made the move to expand back to a dozen teams. The Big 12 added the likes of the BYU Cougars, Cincinnati Bearcats, Houston Cougars, and UCF Knights, in this round of conference expansion.

With how good Cincinnati, Houston, and BYU look this season (also throughout the last few years), this looks to be a good move for the Big 12 to expand. But the conference still obviously likely won’t be able to compete with the SEC, especially with Texas and Oklahoma joining the mix.

Bob Bowlsby is very upset about Texas football, OU leaving for the SEC

On the move for Texas and Oklahoma to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, it appears that the conference’s commissioner Bob Bowlsby is taking this personally. In an interview with the Austin American-Statesman this week, Bowlsby mentioned that he took Texas and Oklahoma abruptly leaving the Big 12 for the SEC personally.

More specifically, he said that he felt “personal betrayal” at this move by the two schools.

Here’s more on what Bowlsby said in this piece with the Austin American-Statesman.

"“Being, to use your term pissed off about it, I can’t allow myself that,” Bowlsby said. “I have to get over the sense of personal betrayal and do what’s necessary for our eight continuing members. And that’s what we did.”"

Bowlsby clearly feels some type of way about the Longhorns and Sooners leaving for the SEC. But nothing is really ever smooth and friendly when it comes to big-time departures in conference realignment. It makes a lot of sense financially for Texas and Oklahoma to go to the SEC. So, that’s what happened.

The Big 12 isn’t treating the Longhorns too kindly in 2021. But the future still looks bright for the football program as Texas looks to right the ship under first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian.