Texas and Oklahoma are officially joining the Southeastern Conference in 2024, which is one year soon than expected.
According to a statement by the SEC tonight, Texas and Oklahoma will joining the conference on July 1, 2024.
Here is that statement:
Statement from @SEC Commissioner @GregSankey on Oklahoma and Texas membership transition: pic.twitter.com/qZZI6YaRJp
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) February 10, 2023
According to ESPN, Texas and Oklahoma agreed to pay a combined $100 million to the Big 12 in order to leave a year early.
Here is an excerpt from ESPN:
“As I have consistently stated, the conference would only agree to an early withdrawal if it was in our best interest for Oklahoma and Texas to depart prior to June 30, 2025,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in a prepared statement. “By reaching this agreement, we are now able to accelerate our new beginning as a 12-team league and move forward in earnest with our initiatives and future planning. I appreciate the approaches of OU President Joe Harroz and UT President Jay Hartzell to ensure an amicable conclusion to this process, and look forward to the bright days ahead for the Big 12 Conference.”
On July 1, the Big 12 will officially add BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston to the conference, and it will compete as a 14-team league for the upcoming season. Sources told ESPN recently that both parties were interested in finding a way for the schools to leave early, but when the athletic directors and presidents met last week in Dallas, there was no resolution. It was a quick change that even surprised some leadership within the league on Thursday afternoon.
