Texas and Oklahoma to Officially Join the SEC in 2024

Officially, Oklahoma and Texas announced their arrival to the SEC on July 1, 2024. After months of negotiations, Big 12 reached an agreement in principle that the Longhorns (and Sooners) would leave the conference to join the SEC.

The move is expected to bring a financial windfall to both schools as the SEC announced that each team would receive $49.9 million in revenue distribution for the 2021-22 academic year, a significant increase from the Big 12’s revenue distribution.

The move will also bring an additional increase in revenue to both schools. SEC’s upcoming TV deal with ESPN In 2024, the project will be completed. Oklahoma and Texas will both forgo $50 million According to the Big 12 media agreements, each school would have received the next two seasons.

In a prepared statement, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark stated, “The conference would only agree to an early withdrawal if it were in our best interest for Oklahoma and Texas to depart before June 30, 2025. By reaching this agreement, we are now able to accelerate our new beginning as a 12-team league and move forward in earnest with our initiatives and future planning.”

Texas President Jay Hartzell said, “We have always been committed to fulfilling our contractual obligations to the Big 12. The collegiate athletics landscape has continued to evolve rapidly and working together to accelerate our exit produced benefits for all parties. The Big 12 has been a respected partner for nearly three decades, and we look forward to a final season of spirited competition with our friends and rivals.”

The negotiations for the withdrawal of Texas and Oklahoma are over. Now, their focus is on their future in SEC. Each program will bring with them a wealth in talent and a rich football history, which will raise the level of competition.

Steve Sarkisian is a second-year Head Coach and has proved his team can compete. The Longhorns won just five games in their debut season. Last season, Texas won eight regular-season matches and was invited to play in the Valero alamo Bowl. They fell to Washington, 27-20.

Their most significant outing was against #1 Alabama, which took place at home in Texas and was the location for ESPN’s College GameDay show. Texas proved to be a formidable opponent to the SEC powerhouse. Texas lost the game by one point despite their quarterback being injured and having to retire from the game. The Longhorns have the third-ranked recruiting class, and they are expected to pose a serious threat to the SEC in 2024.

Oklahoma was unable to live up to its expectations, despite having only lost two of the previous three years. Ex-Head Coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Caleb Williams both left Oklahoma for the University of Southern California. This was a major loss.

The Sooners started the season with three wins consecutively, but lost to Kansas State 41-34 in their fourth game. The Sooners won two games against top 25 teams (#19 Kansas State and #22 Oklahoma State), but they were defeated in the CHEEZ-IT Bowl by #13 Florida State, 35-32. Despite these obstacles, Oklahoma managed to recruit the fifth-ranked class.

Oklahoma and Texas will have an exciting opportunity to join the SEC as they seek to maintain their academic and athletic successes in a new conference. College sports fans will be watching as these two elite programs make the transition to the SEC.

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