Texas regents to meet Monday about Big 12

The Big 12’s long-term future continues to grow cloudier.

University of Texas regents have called a special meeting for Monday to discuss and take “appropriate action regarding potential legal issues related to athletic conference membership and contracting.”

The 4 p.m. EDT teleconference, posted Friday by school officials, also will allow regents to take action in regard to a “delegation to act on” conference realignment.

Texas’ meeting will be held on the same day Oklahoma regents convene to “discuss potential legal ramifications of conference realignment options” and “take any appropriate action.”

Big 12 sources said the purpose of both sessions will be to authorize each school president — Texas’ Bill Powers and Oklahoma’s David Boren — to take action in regard to conference realignment, similar to what Texas A&M regents did on Aug. 15 with president R. Bowen Loftin.

Loftin notified Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe of A&M’s official withdrawal on Aug. 31, and the school has been approved as a conditional member of the Southeastern Conference, pending a waiver of legal claims.

Multiple Big 12 sources have said Oklahoma prefers a move to the Pac-12. Oklahoma State officials said they plan to remain aligned with OU.

Texas’ plans are less clear. Texas officials have been public in their desire to remain part of the Big 12 but began actively contemplating other options after a meeting Sunday with Oklahoma officials.

A Big 12 source said that Texas’ situation remains “very fluid.”

Texas sources have said the school’s potential options include a move to an expanded Atlantic Coast Conference, where Texas’ contract with ESPN for the Longhorn Network might be embraced because ESPN/ABC is the ACC’s primary TV rights holder.