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SEC releases statement after Texas, Oklahoma formally request invitation to join league
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A day after Texas and Oklahoma formally informed the Big 12 they planned to leave the conference, the two schools are now seeking an invitation to join the SEC. League commissioner Greg Sankey released a statement on Tuesday morning.
“The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas today submitted formal requests for invitations to become members of the Southeastern Conference in 2025,” Sankey said in the release.
“While the SEC has not proactively sought new members, we will pursue significant change when there is a clear consensus among our members that such actions will further enrich the experiences of our student-athletes and lead to greater academic and athletic achievement across our campuses. The Presidents and Chancellors of the SEC, in their capacity as the conference’s Chief Executive Officers, will consider these requests in the near future. Per the Bylaws of the SEC, a vote of at least three-fourths of the SEC’s 14 members is required to extend an invitation for membership.”
Texas and Oklahoma released a joint statement on Monday announcing their intention to leave the Big 12 and explore other opportunities. While it did not directly mention the SEC at the the time, plenty of reports surfaced about that being the desired destination.
It’s an opportunity for the SEC to add two of college football’s bigger brands to an already-loaded conference. And the change will undoubtedly result in a domino effect for conference realignment.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB