Bob Stoops did not hesitate to put Oklahoma State in its place.

Happy Tuesday, friends and fans!

One day after announcing their intentions not to renew their status as members of the Big 12 Conference, the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns each submitted formal requests for future SEC membership.

Shortly following the news of OU and UT’s membership request, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey released a statement explaining how the university presidents and chancellors will soon convene to consider the formal applications from Oklahoma and Texas. Per Southeastern Conference bylaws, at least three fourths (min. 11 schools) of the current 14-team league must vote yes in order to welcome any new applicants into the SEC.

For now, all sides involved have continued to cite 2025 as the final year of Oklahoma and Texas’ current grant of rights agreement with the Big 12, but that date is becoming increasingly more suspect as the hours and days go by. In all likelihood, the Sooners and Longhorns will be official members of the SEC as early as the 2022-23 athletic season if not soon thereafter. In any case, stay tuned for further updates on this rapidly developing situation.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! ESPN’s LHN will help make OU and Texas’ transition to the SEC much smoother, watch list season stays hot, Mizzou’s AD steps down and more!

OU Links

• Speaking of realignment, Bob Stoops has given his two cents on the situation. To put it mildly, he’s heavily in favor of the move. One thing that stood out was his lack of hesitancy to put Oklahoma State in its place.

• This story just keeps becoming more incredible. Basically, the Longhorn Network (owned by ESPN) has turned out to be a very beautiful thing for Oklahoma after all because it means getting out of the Big 12 contract early won’t break the bank in Norman. Thanks, Texas! Wow, I almost gagged while typing that out. But seriously, good looking out, y’all.

• On Tuesday, junior EDGE Nik Bonitto, senior DL Isaiah Thomas and senior Perrion Winfrey were each named to the 2021 Nagurski Trophy Watch List. This honor is reserved for the nation’s top overall defensive player.

• In other awards news, senior OL Marquis Hayes, senior OL Tyrese Robinson and senior DL Perrion Winfrey were each named to the 2021 Outland Trophy Watch List. This honor is reserved for the nation’s top offensive or defensive interior lineman.

• Earlier this week, junior LB Brian Asamoah and junior EDGE Nik Bonitto were each named to the 2021 Butkus Award Watch List. This honor is annually presented to the nation’s top linebacker.

• The Minnesota Vikings have signed former Biletnikoff Award winning OU WR Dede Westbrook. Now he’ll compete throughout this preseason for a spot on the team’s 53-man roster set to be determined shortly before the 2021 NFL regular season kicks off.

Around the Sports World

• After five years in the position, Missouri Tigers Athletic Director Jim Sterk is reportedly stepping down from his role in Columbia.
• Former Oklahoma State Cowboys star Cade Cunningham — the expected No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft — has signed an endorsement deal with Nike.
• The Washington Capitals have recently re-signed 35-year-old NHL legend Alex Ovechkin to a five-year, $47.5 million contract.
• Former Ohio State and Miami QB Tate Martell has reportedly joined the UNLV Rebels of the Mountain West Conference as an ‘athlete’. Amazingly, he still has two years of eligibility remaining after opting out of the 2020 season.

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