Texas, Oklahoma ADs on CFB’s latest shifts

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione and Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte on Monday reiterated their faculties’ intentions to stay within the Huge 12 till 2025, sustaining the general public stance they have not wavered from since saying final July that they might depart for the SEC.

The pair met with reporters after a panel dialogue on the Texas Excessive College Coaches Affiliation annual conference and training college in San Antonio, the place Castiglione and Del Conte spoke to highschool coaches and directors about management.

Requested about new Huge 12 commissioner Brett Yormark’s feedback final week a couple of potential “win-win” situation because it pertains to the timing of the Sooners and Longhorns’ exits from the league, each remained publicly constant.

“We understand we have decided, and we’re targeted on being a fantastic member by way of the time we mentioned we might,” Castiglione mentioned. “There’s loads altering round us. If that facilitates a dialog that should happen about an earlier departure, then it does.

“However I mentioned very persistently that, and I do know my counterpart Chris Del Conte has mentioned the identical factor — as has our presidents — that we knowledgeable the convention that we would go away after ’25, however we plan on fulfilling our obligations. … And in the event that they wish to speak to us about one thing totally different then we’ll definitely hear. However we’re targeted on making an attempt to be the perfect member of the Huge 12 whereas we’re in it.”

Del Conte struck an identical tone, saying Monday that, “We’re gonna honor our commitments. So the place we’re at, I believe these issues are all untimely. I imply, we’re 45 days out from beginning the season. We’re actually getting targeted on the soccer season this 12 months.”

Each faculties had been projected to owe the Huge 12 round $80 million in exit charges in the event that they tried to interrupt the league’s present grant of rights.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, requested Monday at SEC media days a couple of potential early entrance to the league by Texas and Oklahoma: “That is less than me. That is in regards to the relationship between Oklahoma, Texas and the Huge 12. We’re targeted on the addition being efficient July 1st, 2025.”

Each Castiglione and Del Conte famous they have not met Yormark personally however have spoken to him by way of league-wide videoconference calls.

The 2 members have continued to be part of Huge 12’s league conferences. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy “jokingly” instructed reporters final week that if he had been Yormark, he would not permit them in.

“We go to convention conferences, and OU and Texas are in there,” Gundy mentioned. “They’re nonetheless within the convention. However I am guessing after they depart, they’re scratching down issues that may assist them after they’re within the SEC. So it’s an uncommon scenario.”

Requested about Gundy’s feedback, Del Conte chuckled and mentioned,”I perceive coaches. (They’ve) obtained to put on that emotion on their sleeves and Coach Gundy’s an unbelievable human being and what a fantastic coach and program he is constructed at Oklahoma State. However I get it.”

Del Conte famous that conferences have been cordial within the final 12 months.

“We’re buddies with each a type of ADs,” he mentioned. “We’ve conversations. Clearly, when the discussions had been had, they’re laborious discussions, however I believe everybody understands the place we’re going. And each dialog has been open dialogue. And I like each a type of ADs. I like the members and I like what they characterize.”

Neither Del Conte nor Castiglione expressed shock at USC and UCLA’s current transfer to affix the Huge Ten, efficient in 2024.

“We’ve been watching these adjustments evolve over fairly a couple of years,” Castiglione mentioned. “And we simply felt like there have been going to be some large adjustments, and so we needed to assume what was greatest for our particular person establishments. And now, a 12 months later, there’s been loads evolve. So a few of it’s, in a way, in step with what we noticed over the horizon.”

(Picture: John Gutierrez / USA Right now)