Texas to host an 'All-Day SEC Celebration' to commemorate officially joining the league
When the clock strikes midnight on June 30 and the calendar changes to July 1, the Texas Longhorns will officially become members of the Southeastern Conference. To celebrate, Texas is throwing a party.
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From 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. in front of the Main Mall at the UT Tower, Texas will host an “epic all-day celebration commemorating the Longhorns’ inaugural day in the Southeastern Conference,” according to a release. It will feature an “official SEC ceremony at 8:30 p.m. with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents Kevin Eltife, President Jay Hartzell, and Vice President and athletics director Chris Del Conte.
“UT’s move to the Southeastern Conference is an extraordinary moment for Texas Athletics, Longhorn Nation and our entire University. It is only fitting that we celebrate this occasion with a Texas-sized party on the Forty Acres, open to all,” Hartzell said in a statement. “We are excited to bring our passion, history and commitment to excellence to our new conference, and this event will be a chance to highlight the University’s winning tradition and all it means to be a Longhorn.”
At SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Sankey mentioned how this would be yet another defining occasion for the league as it expands for a third time.
“That’s what we do at these moments, we honor these moments,” Sankey said on Wednesday.
Texas has been generally muted in its anticipation of the move. Campbell-Williams Field received SEC logos last week to little fanfare. Similar applied to the practice courts at the men’s basketball facility and the floor for volleyball at Gregory Gym. Only recently has Texas placed SEC logos in its football facility and started letting recruits take pictures with jerseys with SEC patches.
“One of the things that myself, Jay, and (Oklahoma president) Joe (Harroz) said is we want to be respectful and orderly in our transition,” Sankey said. “You did not see SEC flags parading on fields, logos popping up at that time. We knew there’d be a time for that, and that will be upon entry on June 30th and July 1st.”
The announcement says fans will be treated to “star-studded concerts” with a “a headlining performance at 9 p.m. by a to-be-announced global superstar.”
There will be activities similar to those available on game days on Bevo Blvd. and the opportunity for fans to purchase “exclusive Texas x SEC co-branded merchandise.”
“This is a day we have been building towards for years,” Del Conte said. “We can’t wait to see the Burnt Orange and White come out for a jam-packed day of activities celebrating all of our traditions and create new memories as we join the SEC.”
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According to a release, the SEC Network will be broadcasting live from the Main Mall from 5 to 9 p.m., offering a one-of-a-kind SEC experience created for this event, with photo ops commemorating some of the network’s best programming.
More information can be found here.
