Paul Finebaum explains why SEC needed Oklahoma, Texas to arrive in 2024

Paul Finebaum is so glad to see that Oklahoma and Texas will be joining the SEC in 2024.

After being told it would have to be until 2025 before Oklahoma and Texas could join the SEC, Paul Finebaum is relieved like the rest of us this wave of conference realignment will be over in 2024.

Finebaum touched on this during his weekly radio hit with McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on WJOX in Birmingham. Like everyone who follows college football, this could not have possibly dragged on into 2025. It would have been untenable. To be stuck in the same Big 12 for two full academic years after the new entrants arrived would have been so beyond awkward for them.

Finebaum said nobody is more relieved over the move than SEC commissioner Greg Sankey.

"“I think it lifts a veil of uneasiness that’s existed quite frankly since the announcement came out a year and a half ago. I read it in the commissioner’s face the other day, I mean he was relieved because this was obviously not easy.”"

It is also a sign that the new era of college football is rapidly approaching, one day at a time.

"“I think when the news broke, it was one of the greatest moments in Southeastern Conference history. Because we’re finally moving forward, this thing could not go in 2025, for many, many reasons. No. 1 it was just simply too long a wait. And secondly, with the Big Ten making its move next year, and the Big 12 making its move this year, the SEC had to have closure on this, and I think all fans ought to be rejoicing with this news.”"

As far as if the SEC is going to expand beyond 16 teams, it has to be Notre Dame or bust, right?

"“This league with Texas and Oklahoma is fantastic. Outside of Notre Dame, which we always talk about, show me one other college program in America that would seriously affect the overall well being and value of the SEC, and I’ll wait, somebody please let me know.”"

Oklahoma and Texas’ move to the SEC aligns perfectly with College Football Playoff expansion. UCLA and USC will be joining the Big Ten in the same season, while BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF will be entering year two in a new Big 12. Depending on if the Pac-12 adds two new members to replace UCLA and USC (San Diego State and SMU), realignment seems to be slowing down a bit.

One would expect for the SEC to be adopting a nine-game conference schedule in two seasons.

Paul Finebaum rejoices over Oklahoma and Texas finally joining the SEC in 2024

From a financial standpoint, it made all the sense in the world for the SEC to pursue adding Oklahoma and Texas. These are two college football blue-bloods and were the preeminent pillars of the old Big 12. Although there is some debate if both schools will quickly assimilate to the one-of-one culture that is SEC football, no doubt about it, these acquisitions really move the needle.

For all intents and purposes, this wave of college football realignment needs to cease by the start of the 2024 season. The College Football Playoff field will expand from four teams to 12, allowing the six best conference champions, as well as six other at-large teams, opportunities to compete for a national championship. Hopefully, we will all have our ducks in a row by then. We have time.

Ultimately, Oklahoma and Texas having to play out the rest of its Big 12 media rights deal would have been such a black mark on the sport itself. Those teams do not want to be in the Big 12 anymore, and that league does not need to have the negative PR associated with having two uninterested parties part of it. Both leagues can have success, but this move needed to happen.

We have until July 1, 2024 for every FBS college football conference to get its stuff together, man.

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