The Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns are set to join the Southeastern Conference following the conclusion of the 2023-24 athletic year after reaching an agreement to withdraw from the Big 12, the conference announced on Thursday.
Pending final approval from the governing boards at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas at Austin, the decision to withdraw comes one year earlier than a previously announced date of 2025, according to the Big 12.
“As I have consistently stated, the conference would only agree to an early withdrawal if it was in our best interest for Oklahoma and Texas to depart prior to June 30, 2025,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said. “By reaching this agreement, we are now able to accelerate our new beginning as a 12-team league and move forward in earnest with our initiatives and future planning.”
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey confirmed the news in a statement: “We are continuing our preparation for this membership transition, and we look forward to welcoming the conference’s new members and moving into our future as a 16-team league.”
Despite the impending departures of Oklahoma and Texas, the Big 12 will compete as a 14-team league in the upcoming 2023-24 football season with the impending additions of Brigham Young University, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston on July 1. The SEC currently has 14 member institutions.
As part of the agreement, Oklahoma and Texas will forfeit $100 million in revenue distribution, according to the Big 12’s statement.
“We have always been committed to fulfilling our contractual obligations to the Big 12,” University of Texas at Austin president Jay Hartzell said. “The collegiate athletics landscape has continued to evolve rapidly, and working together to accelerate our exit produced benefits for all parties.”
