SEC officially invites Texas and Oklahoma to the league after unanimous vote

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

It’s official: Texas and Oklahoma have invitations to join the Southeastern Conference. The league’s presidents and chancellors voted unanimously to invite Texas and Oklahoma into the SEC effective July 1, 2025. The invites went out late Thursday afternoon following the vote.

“Today’s unanimous vote is both a testament to the SEC’s longstanding spirit of unity and mutual cooperation, as well as a recognition of the outstanding legacies of academic and athletic excellence established by the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “I greatly appreciate the collective efforts of our Presidents and Chancellors in considering and acting upon each school’s membership interest.”

The schools needed at least eleven yes votes to receive an invitation. There was speculation Texas A&M would vote no in hopes of maintaining its foothold in the state of Texas, but yesterday, the Aggies’ board of regents recommended voting yes, citing the longterm value the expansion would bring to the league.

Both Texas and Oklahoma’s board of regents have meetings scheduled for tomorrow to formally accept the SEC’s invitation. While July 1, 2025 is the date the schools requested to join the league, it’s widely expected they will join sooner once the legal process plays out. Both are under contract with the Big 12 until the end of the 2024-25 season with a $160 million buyout if they leave early.