SEC Receives Formal Letter from Texas and Oklahoma

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

The Southeastern Conference received a formal request to join by the University of Texas and Oklahoma on Tuesday.

The Longhorns and the Sooners request to join the league in 2025 after the “grant of media” deal ends with the Big 12.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey released a statement after the two schools submitted a formal request to the league.

“The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas, two esteemed academic institutions with storied athletics programs, today submitted formal requests of invitations to become members of the Southeastern Conference in 2025.

“While the SEC has not sought new members, we will pursue significant change when there is a clear consensus among our members that such actions will further enrich the experiences of our student-athletes and lead to greater academic and athletic achievement across our campuses,” Sankey said in the statement. “The presidents and chancellors of the SEC, in their capacity as the conference’s chief executive officers, will consider these requests in the near future. Per the bylaws of the SEC, a vote of at least three-fourths of the SEC’s 14 members is required to extend an invitation for membership.”

Texas and Oklahoma took the first step in the process on Monday as they informed the Big 12 that they would not be in media rights with the league.

The news broke last Wednesday, as the Houston Chronicle first reported the story of Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.