Texas and Oklahoma just took a big step toward joining the Southeastern Conference.

Both schools have officially requested to join the SEC leading up to a Thursday meeting of SEC presidents where a vote will take place regarding league expansion.

Texas and Oklahoma will need 11 of 14 SEC schools to vote for the expansion to happen. It is expected that all 14 SEC schools will vote yes.

Joint statement from Texas and Oklahoma:

Dear Commissioner Sankey:
The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Oklahoma (the “Universities”) request invitations for membership to the Southeastern Conference (the “SEC”) starting on July 1, 2025. We believe that there would be mutual benefit to the Universities on the one hand, and the SEC on the other hand, for the Universities to become members of the SEC. We look forward to the prospect of discussions regarding this matter.

Statement from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey:

 

The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas today submitted formal requests for invitations to become members of the Southeastern Conference in 2025.

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.