Jul. 26—NORMAN — Add another layer of inevitability to OU’s departure from the Big 12.

Monday morning, OU and Texas announced in a joint statement that they would not extend its grant-of-rights agreement with the league, effectively signaling their departure for the SEC.

“Providing notice to the Big 12 at this point is important in advance of the expiration of the conference’s current media rights agreement,” the statement read. “The universities intend to honor their existing grant of rights agreements. However, both universities will continue to monitor the rapidly evolving collegiate athletics landscape as they consider how best to position their athletics programs for the future.

The initial six-year grant-of-rights agreement was eventually extended to a 13-year deal, expiring in June 2025.

The public talk of conference realignment centered on OU and Texas’ moves to the SEC starting Wednesday when the Houston Chronicle reported that both schools had discussed joining the conference.

Such a move could net $60 million annually for the Sooners.

But the switch won’t be easy, depending on the timing of the departure.

Big 12 bylaws require at least an 18-month notice of departure, and if OU leaves earlier than June 2025, it could owe as much as $80 million based on the active grant-of-rights agreement.

OU netted $34.5 in the Big 12’s revenue split last year, about $10 million less than the SEC.

Sunday, the executive committee of the Big 12 met with OU president Joe Harroz and Texas president Jay Hartzell. That came after a Thursday meeting that included Big 12 presidents, chancellors and athletic directors of the other eight schools. OU and Texas were invited to take part in that meeting but did not.

“The executive committee expressed a willingness to discuss proposals that would strengthen the conference and be mutually beneficial to OU and UT, as well as the other member institutions of the conference,” league commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a release. “I expect that we will continue our conversations in the days ahead and we look forward to discussing thoughts, ideas and concepts that may be of interest and impact.”

Among the topics of discussion in that Thursday meeting, CBS Sports reported, was giving OU and Texas additional revenue shares in hopes of keeping the league intact.

Currently, the teams split the payout equally.

Texas A&M, which made its move from the Big 12 to the SEC for the 2012 season, has been opposed to inviting OU and Texas — especially the Longhorns — into the SEC.

Friday, several Texas lawmakers filed legislation that would keep public colleges in Texas from switching their conference affiliations without legislative approval. That bill, though, is largely symbolic as it isn’t related to any of the topics on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s agenda for the ongoing special session, making it ineligible to be passed into law.

OU and Texas would need a 75% vote by the league’s current members to join the SEC.