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Big 12 commissioner releases strong statement after Texas, Oklahoma request invite to SEC
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A lot of statements have been released over the last few days regarding Texas and Oklahoma and their desire to leave the Big 12 and join forces with the SEC.
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby was the latest to release a statement in this process. After Texas and Oklahoma formally requested an invitation to join the SEC, he made some strong comments about what has occurred recently.
“The Big 12 Conference has learned that the University of Oklahoma and University of Texas have submitted formal requests to the SEC to be considered for membership beginning with the 2025-26 athletic year,” the statement said. “The events of recent days have verified that the two schools have been contemplating and planning for the transition for months and this formal application is the culmination of those processes.
“We are unwavering in the belief that the Big 12 provides an outstanding platform for its members’ athletic and academic success. We will face the challenges head-on and have confidence that the Big 12 will continue to be a vibrant and successful entity in the near term and into the foreseeable future.”
Texas and Oklahoma sent a joint statement to the Big 12 on Monday stating that it planned to leave the conference. On Tuesday, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey confirmed the two schools formally requested an invitation into the conference.
“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.”
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