Lincoln Riley reacts to news Oklahoma is joining the SEC
By Adam Spencer
Published:
During Big 12 Media Days last month, the story of Oklahoma and Texas leaving the Big 12 for the SEC had yet to break.
Thus, Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley wasn’t asked about it and had yet to share his initial reaction.
On Thursday, as the Sooners prepare to open fall camp, Riley was asked about his thoughts on the matter. He said he thinks it is going to be a plus for the Sooners in the long run (via 247Sports):
“My reaction to it: I think for the future it’s gonna be exciting,” Riley said.
“I think it’s gonna be a positive thing for this university, a positive thing for our athletic department, our athletes, our coaches, everybody. It’s exciting to think about but I guess for me it’s tempered because of the task at hand right now. It’s almost like scheduling a big, exciting non-conference matchup eight years down the road. Sure, it will be great when it happens but that doesn’t matter for right now. Right now, we’re a member of the Big 12. I think we’ve represented the conference well in these previous years and intend to do so throughout the duration of our agreement.”
Will Oklahoma be a top-tier SEC program right away? Or, will the Sooners have some growing pains? We’ll find out whenever they officially join the conference.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
