Although Texas football is joining the SEC in 2024, they might as well already be gone as far as Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark is concerned. He is displaying zero objectivity when it comes to the Longhorns, whom he is openly rooting against in their Nov. 24 regular season finale versus Texas Tech. Steve Sarkisian finally responded to the controversial comments.

“I got a letter from the commissioner on sportsmanship the day before that speech,” the Texas head coach said, per Chip Brown of Horns247.com. “I'm guessing he won't have Thanksgiving with us before that game.”

The second-year commish is going to be in Austin for the big matchup, which could be the Longhorns' final conference clash before they and the Oklahoma Sooners jump over to college football's most reputable league. Yormark clearly wants the program to depart on a sour note. Sarkisian subtlety fired a shot of his own here, but he was probably holding back a good amount of frustration.

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Neither he nor his team can afford to be swept up in the chatter and slander. They knew this was coming. Existing Big 12 members are unlikely to throw flowers at their feet on their way out the door. Yormark assumed his post only last summer, so he already had no allegiance to Texas football. Still, expressing implicit bias is going to open him up for a deluge of criticism.

A close loss with a controversial call will be heavily scrutinized. He has left himself wide open to potential character attacks going forward. Now that Yormark has publicly opposed the Longhorns for this game, a Red Raiders' defeat will make it very difficult for him to enjoy his leftover turkey.