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Texas president Jay Hartzell discusses when Longhorns had first contact with the SEC
By Adam Spencer
Published:
By now, it’s no secret that the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners will eventually join the SEC.
When that actually happens remains to be seen, but the invitation has been asked for and approved. It’s only a matter of time until the 2 powerhouse programs make the move.
But, when did this process actually start? During a hearing on Monday, Texas president Jay Hartzell said it started this spring sometime:
"We reached out to the SEC, I don't recall the exact day, but it would have been this spring." — Texas president Jay Hartzell
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) August 2, 2021
Asked who made the first move, though, Hartzell gave a rather confusing answer:
Hey, did the SEC actually initiate this? That's been asked several times, several different ways.
Texas president Jay Hartzell: "They neither reached out nor was I directed to reach out (to the SEC)."
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) August 2, 2021
Whoever made the first move, it happened. And things moved quickly.
Oh, and it’s probably safe to say there’s some animosity from Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, pictured behind Hartzell here at the hearing:
Time for Texas president Jay Hartzell. We'll see how much he's willing to share. Bob Bowlsby sitting right behind him. pic.twitter.com/3RLg0kwson
— Max Olson (@max_olson) August 2, 2021
There’s going to be no love lost between Texas, Oklahoma and the Big 12 in the coming years, that’s for sure.
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.
