Sources -- Fox, ESPN to open talks with Big 12 about conference's next television deal

Fox and ESPN have agreed to engage in discussions with the Big 12 about the league's next television contract, sources told ESPN.

The imminent opening of these conversations is significant, as they come more than a year and a half before the league's television contract calls for a formal, exclusive negotiating window with both current partners. This development allows the Big 12, which has a contract through the 2024 football season, to potentially get tangible future revenue numbers for both its member schools and potential additions.

The conversations could lead to contact negotiations on an extension, which would be a distinct advantage for the Big 12 as it navigates this uncertain moment in college sports.

There is no formal window on these conversations between the Big 12 and ESPN and Fox, which are expected to begin soon. If no deal is reached, the conference can still secure a deal through a more traditional timeline.

For the television networks, the discussions do not affect the formal negotiating window in the contracts. If nothing happens from these conversations, the networks maintain the formal negotiating window in February 2024. This opening of discussions essentially gives Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and the conference's television partners two chances to engage.

"[Yormark] is doing what he should be doing, trying to gain an advantage," an industry source told ESPN.

If the Big 12's talks with ESPN and Fox turn into negotiations, it would likely be for a short-term extension that gives the league clarity after the current deal expires following the 2024-25 academic year.

The willingness of the Big 12's television partners to come to the table could mitigate one big advantage the Pac-12 has in the