Oklahoma’s Board of Regents has unanimously voted to accept an invite from the SEC to join the conference by 2025, it announced at a meeting, Friday morning.
OU President Joseph Harroz and UT President Jay Hartzell sent a formal request to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on Tuesday. The SEC unanimously voted to add OU and Texas to the conference at a meeting on Thursday.
"The decision today will allow us to continue recruiting the most talented student-athletes from everywhere and provide them with a world-class experience," said OU Athletics Director Joe Castiglione.
Texas also accepted membership to the conference at its board of regents meeting on Friday, with both schools planning to stay within the Big 12’s current grant of rights agreement until it ends in 2025.
The Sooners and Longhorns have been in the Big 12 since its formation in 1994, before conference play started in 1996. The schools own 14 and three Big 12 Championships, respectively.
Reports surfaced that Bowlsby and the Big 12 have sent a cease and desist letter to ESPN demanding it end all actions that may harm the league’s realignment on Wednesday. The letter states that the network reached out to at least one Big 12 school to encourage it to leave the conference, according to Sports Illustrated.
The Houston Chronicle reported on July 21 that both schools had reached out about potentially joining the conference before Horns247 reported on July 23 that they planned on leaving the Big 12.
