Texas, Oklahoma Formally Apply For SEC Membership From 2025 After Announcing Big 12 Leaving

Oklahoma and Texas have stepped up to join the SEC and form the first college football superconference. On Tuesday, the two schools filed a joint letter formally requesting admission to the conference beginning July 1, 2025.

“The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma sent the request below to Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey this morning,” the statement said. “The joint application is for an invitation to become a member of the SEC effective July 1, 2025. Both universities look forward to discussions on this matter.”

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey issued his own statement acknowledging the letter, but officially noted that the conference had “not proactively sought new members.” Yet the transition seems imminent. The presidents and chancellors of the conferences are said to have scheduled a meeting on Thursday to discuss the addition of the two Blue Bloods. A three-quarter majority vote – equal to 11 of 14 conference members – must approve the expansion in order to add teams.

The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas, two reputable academic institutions with legendary track and field programs, today submitted formal requests for invitations to become members of the Southeastern Conference in 2025. “Sankey said. “While the SEC has not proactively sought new members, we will pursue significant changes when there is a clear consensus among our members that such actions will further enrich the experiences of our student-athletes and lead to better experiences. better academic and athletic results on our campuses. “

On Monday, Oklahoma and Texas issued a joint statement announcing that they would not renew their rights-granting agreement with the Big 12, which expires in 2025. This marked the first step in their likely transition to the SEC. . While both schools have said they will honor the rest of their deal, this could be a legal posture and not an actual timeline for their departure.

If Texas and Oklahoma were to leave the Big 12 sooner – perhaps as early as next year – they could each owe up to $ 80 million in income distributions as a penalty for leaving before the expiration. of the television rights contract.