Universities Of Texas, Oklahoma Formally Apply To Join SEC

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Photo: Courtesy of the SEC

After weeks of speculation and analysis, both the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma have informed the Big 12 they are leaving in 2025 and have formally requested to join the already powerful Southeastern Conference (SEC).

On Tuesday, July 27, the schools released the joint letter sent to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, expressing their interest in joining the conference. A move of this magnitude hasn’t been seen since the creation of the Big 12 conference and will most likely shake up the rest of the Power-5 conferences.

On Monday, July 26, Texas and Oklahoma released a joint statement saying they would not be renewing its contracts with the Big 12 conference after it expires in 2025. The statement goes as such:

“The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Oklahoma notified the Big 12 Athletic Conference today that they will not be renewing their grants of media rights following expiration in 2025. Providing notice to the Big 12 at this point is important in advance of the expiration of the conference’s current media rights agreement. The universities intend to honor their existing grant of rights agreements. However, both universities will continue to monitor the rapidly evolving collegiate athletics landscape as they consider how best to position their athletics programs for the future.”

SEC Commissioner Sankey also released a statement regarding the two Big 12 universities applying for membership into the SEC:

“The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas, two esteemed academic institutions with storied athletics programs, today submitted formal requests for invitations to become members of the Southeastern Conference in 2025.

While the SEC has not proactively sought new members, we will pursue significant change when there is a clear consensus among our members that such actions will further enrich the experiences of our student-athletes and lead to greater academic and athletic achievement across our campuses. The Presidents and Chancellors of the SEC, in their capacity as the conference’s Chief Executive Officers, will consider these requests in the near future. Per the Bylaws of the SEC, a vote of at least three-fourths of the SEC’s 14 members is required to extend an invitation for membership.”

The ball is now officially in the SEC’s court, specifically each school’s president/chancellor, to either approve or vote down Texas and Oklahoma’s entry into the conference. The addition of both schools will force the conference to rearrange its divisions for football and scheduling for future seasons.

Steven Boero
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