Conference realignment got more interesting on Wednesday when the Big 12 accused the four-letter network of tampering with conference members.
Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that the Big 12 has sent a “cease and desist” letter to ESPN, demanding that it end “all actions that may harm the conference and its members and that it it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference’s existing members or an NCAA conference regarding the Big 12 conference’s members, possible conference realignment and potential financial incentive or outcomes related to possible conference realignment.”
or any NCAA conference regarding the Big 12 conference's members, possible conference realignment or potential financial incentive or outcomes related to possible conference realignment." More soon on @YahooSports https://t.co/HHRW1ZXTPm
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 28, 2021
In a comment to the Associated Press, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby directly accused ESPN of tampering, saying “I have absolute certainty they (ESPN) have been involved in manipulating other conferences to go after our members.”
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby to AP: “I have absolute certainty they (ESPN) have been involved in manipulating other conferences to go after our members.”
The Big 12 has sent a cease-and-desist letter to ESPN, as first reported by @PeteThamel
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) July 28, 2021
Sports Illustrated obtained a copy of the cease and desist letter, which you can read below:
.@SINow has obtained the cease and desist letter that the Big 12 sent to ESPN.
In it, commissioner Bob Bowlsby says that ESPN has reached out to at least one of the eight remaining Big 12 members in an attempt to convince the school to leave in wake of the Texas and OU exit. pic.twitter.com/j50gEBPWBY
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 28, 2021
