NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) – Sooner fans itching to see the University of Oklahoma make its Southeastern Conference debut early should get comfortable waiting. Reports say that negotiations of OU and University of Texas at Austin leaving the Big 12 for the SEC ahead of 2025 have stalled.

“When it comes to the SEC, that’s the golden goose of college football,” said Jerry Ramsey, producer with The Franchise 107.7.

And that’s why so many OU and Texas fans are pumped to exit the Big 12 and enter their new conference in 2025.

The talks that the move to the SEC could happen a year ahead of schedule in 2024 made fans’ mouths water.

But Friday, ESPN reported that negotiations for the early move have stalled, and the deal is unlikely.

“Initially, just as a fan, a little disappointed,” OU fan Hunter Culp expressed to KFOR. “As a fan, you want to see our team play the best.”

Reports say the two schools couldn’t come to terms with TV networks ESPN and FOX to create equitable value for all parties.

“When it comes down to it, this is all about money,” said Ramsey.

He says OU will lose out on big money if they can’t leave for the SEC early.

“In the grand scheme of things, the big impact is they can’t cash SEC checks until they get there and they’re going to have to settle with the Big 12, and now they’re going to have to even split it with four more teams coming into the Big 12.”

He’s referring to how Brigham Young University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Houston begin play in the Big 12 this fall.

Soonerscoop.com’s Eddie Radosevich isn’t convinced negotiations are over.

“I didn’t read today’s news and think, well, this thing’s over, oh, they’re going to stay in the conference for two more years,” he shared. “I think it’s more of a wait and see approach.”

KFOR Sports Director Brian Brinkley boils it all down to the complications of television contracts.

“While I’m sure OU and Texas would like to leave as soon as they could, there’s major, major dollars involved with this to do this,” he said. “So there’s a lot of parties involved here, if you will, that have to be satisfied. The Big 12, the SEC, OU, Texas, Fox and ESPN. So that’s a lot of people that have a vested interest, to say the least, in all of this movement.”