That was my point. OU does not need to be in a Texas based conference to access Texas recruits. For decades they successfully recruited Texas while playing in a conference based in the Midwest.
Why is this relevant to this discussion? A couple of years prior to the GOR expiring (when it reaches the point it is more advantageous to buy out the final few years of the GOR and make a move) you will see both Kansas and Oklahoma to the Big Ten rumors start up. It will be the first move in the next big conference realignment shakeup, and the last move the Big Ten will make for many, many years to come.
Oklahoma and Kansas are the only logical moves for the Big Ten to make. The ACC is locked up tight as their GOR goes into 2036. Notre Dame is not an option as they also signed into the ACC GOR until 2035-36 and are contractually obligated to join the ACC if they decide to join a conference in the next 20 years.
The only playing pieces on the board for the Big Ten are Kansas and Oklahoma. The two schools make sense as well because the future is about acquiring historical properties like OU football and KU basketball, not markets, as we switch towards more streaming based services. With Comcast dumping the BTN in non-BIG states and more and more people cutting the cord you can expect BTN to be made available nationally as a streaming service for a few dollars a month. In that environment it is important to have branded programs to service huge alumni and fan bases. OU and KU fit that profile. KU has AAU status and Oklahoma, while academically behind, has been improving. It would also balance out the BIG East and BIG West with OU coming to the West as well as reigniting the OU and Nebraska rivalry. The moves are logical and the time frame also just happens to coincide with the Big Ten renegotiating its TV rights. You think the timing of all that is just coincidence?
Expect OU and KU to come to the BIG. Texas may decide to go independent in football or maybe look west to the PAC with Texas Tech, Okie St, and a few others in tow, maybe ISU is a part of that group. Probably doubtful as the PAC values academics and the only Big 12 schools left they would want would be UT, TTU, and ISU, from an academic standpoint. Of course they did take the AZ schools.
My guess is the Big 12 probably survives with some additions but gets relegated to G5 status, depending on if Texas is still in it or not. Should get interesting, the bottom line is Oklahoma did not extend the Big 12 GOR for a reason, they are looking to get out and the Big Ten is eyeing them.