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The Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners are joining the Southeastern Conference. The SEC announced this afternoon member schools voted unanimously to extend membership to the Longhorns and Sooners. UT and OU said earlier this week they would not re-up their agreement with the Big 12 in hopes of joining the SEC in 2025. It means the SEC will become the first superconference in the NCAA. It also links Texas back up with old rivals Texas A&M and Arkansas.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey communicated the invitations to the respective presidents of the two universities following today's videoconference meeting of the Conference's Presidents and Chancellors. The meeting was convened after the two universities submitted separate requests for membership invitations to the SEC on Tuesday, July 27.
"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 Commissioner Sankey. "I greatly appreciate the collective efforts of our Presidents and Chancellors in considering and acting upon each school's membership interest."
Today's actions are in accordance with SEC Bylaw 3.1.2, which authorizes the Chief Executive Officers of the Conference to extend invitations for membership if at least three-fourths of its 14 member institutions vote to approve.