Texas and Oklahoma’s hopes of joining the SEC officially became a reality on Friday when the conference accepted the two universities into the league.
Shortly following the announcement University of Alabama President Stuart R. Bell and athletic director Greg Byrne both released statements welcoming the SEC’s two newest schools.
“The addition of Oklahoma and Texas, two esteemed institutions of higher education with strong academic programs, will serve to make the SEC even stronger,” Bell said in his statement. “We are excited to welcome them to the SEC and believe the addition of these two schools will heighten our student-athletes’ opportunities to compete, enrich the fan experience and bolster the entire conference.”
Below is Bryne’s full statement:
“We would like to welcome Oklahoma and Texas to the Southeastern Conference. The SEC has already established itself as the premiere conference in collegiate athletics, and the addition of these two tradition-rich programs will make for an even more competitive league in all sports.”
The Longhorns and Sooners informed the Big 12 on Monday that it did not intend to renew its grant-of-rights agreement following the 2025 season and shortly announced its intentions to join the SEC.
This post will be updated.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
