SEC unanimously votes to approve Texas, Oklahoma to join conference

The SEC has voted unanimously to allow Texas and Oklahoma to join its conference in 2025.

Upon accepting their formal invitations on Friday, Texas and Oklahoma have been voted in unanimously to become the next member institutions of the SEC.

“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,” said SEC commissioner Greg Sankey in a statement. “I greatly appreciate the collective efforts of our Presidents and Chancellors in considering and acting upon each school’s membership interest.”

All 14 schools approved adding Texas and Oklahoma into the fold, including their former Big 12 foes in Missouri and Texas A&M. Texas and Oklahoma will join the SEC effective on July 1, 2025, but that could be sped up significantly if the massive eight-figure media rights buyouts are executed by those schools’ biggest boosters. They could play in the league as early as next season.

With Texas and Oklahoma accepting their invitations Friday, a new wave of realignment is upon us.

SEC presidents vote unanimously to allow Texas and Oklahoma into conference

When you have an opportunity to add two of the eight biggest brands in college athletics to your conference, you jump at the opportunity. This was not something drawn up overnight. The SEC had been in discussions with adding Texas and Oklahoma for some time now. It was not until the last week or so had news broke about the SEC expanding from 14 to 16 teams with this pair.

With their imminent departures, the Big 12 is dead for all intents and purposes. Yes, it can add other member institutions, but nobody can replace Texas and Oklahoma, not even Nebraska, Notre Dame, BYU or any other massive football brand. Expect for other Big 12 schools like Kansas, Iowa State and West Virginia to possibly leave for conferences like the Big Ten or the ACC, respectively.

Nothing is stopping this conference realignment marriage from happening; it is all gas, no brakes.

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