contract with ESPN, it needs to have no less than 10 member teams. Further, I believe the contract has a clause that requires ESPN/Fox to pay an equivalent amount per team if the conference expands. So, if true, the Big12 could really put the screws to ESPN and say something along the lines of "You want OU/UT in the SEC earlier? Fine, we'll add teams W, X, Y, and Z. You get to pay us the same amount you're paying now for a 10-year deal."

Is that just posturing? Sure. But, ESPN won't have a leg to stand on and neither will OU/UT.