The Missouri Tigers joined the SEC in 2012, while the Oklahoma Sooners joined in 2024. USA Today's Blake Toppmeyer believes it's time for both programs to pack it up and rejoin the Big 12 as soon as possible, leaving the Texas A&M Aggies and Texas Longhorns, with whom they joined, behind.
Toppmeyer pitched the move within the confines of a larger pitch to ultimately rebuild the Big East football conference and restore regionality in the sport. Getting California's programs out of the Big Ten and ACC was a big component of the pitch.
"Texas created havoc for the Big 12 for many years, and the Longhorns suit the SEC anyway. So leave them be. Same with Texas A&M. Those schools should be paired together, and they fit the SEC’s tapestry. This would leave the SEC with 14 members. That's plenty," Toppmeyer wrote.
"But, to (former Nebraska AD Bill Moos’) point, the old Big Eight schools belong together in a conference oriented around the heartland. So I’m moving Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma back into the Big 12. That’ll restore annual rivalries like Oklahoma-Nebraska, Colorada-Nebraska, Kansas-Missouri, and of course, Bedlam."
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Missouri can go, but Oklahoma is too valuable. Take Arkansas instead
The University of Oklahoma's athletic programs are valued at over a billion dollars. In no universe should they split up from their Red River rival, the University of Texas, which will probably never leave the SEC because of the earnings potential.
Obviously, a conference won't have 15 teams. Mizzou is a definite ditch candidate, but instead of OU, the SEC would probably rather see the Arkansas Razorbacks join the Big 12. When the Hogs were in the Southwest Conference, they had rivals in the TCU Horned Frogs, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Baylor Bears, and Houston Cougars, which are current Big 12 teams. There are several old-timey rivalries for Arkansas in that conference.
The Big 12 is a basketball conference these days, and the Razorbacks are undeniably a basketball school these days. There's more of a clean fit there than the Sooners, which should be playing marquee football games every week.
These are all just hypotheticals, but if we're talking realignment, we should be talking choosing Oklahoma over Arkansas. For many valid reasons.