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The SEC will now be a super conference within the confines of the college football world. The conference announced on Thursday that its Presidents and Chancellors have officially voted to extend invitations to the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns to join the SEC.
“The Presidents and Chancellors of the Southeastern Conference on Thursday voted unanimously today to extend membership invitations to the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas to join the SEC effective July 1, 2025, with competition to begin in all sports for the 2025-26 academic year,” the conference said in a press release.
This is obviously going to be a pretty big financial boon for the SEC and its two new college football powerhouses.
“Today’s unanimous vote is both a testament to the SEC’s longstanding spirit of unity and mutual cooperation, as well as a recognition of the outstanding legacies of academic and athletic excellence established by the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “I greatly appreciate the collective efforts of our Presidents and Chancellors in considering and acting upon each school’s membership interest.”
In particular, Oklahoma joining the SEC changes the entire dynamics of the college football world. Head coach Lincoln Riley has built a powerhouse in Norman. His program is now willing to risk said powerhouse status having to go up against the likes of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Gators, LSU Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs, among others.
Obviously, there’s a financial component to this for both Oklahoma and Texas. That comes via a massive television contract with CBS and the existence of the SEC Network.
The two teams will now make their transition from the Big 12 for the 2025 college football season.