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OU's Board Of Regents Votes Unanimously To Join SEC

Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla.
Curtis Simmons
/
Flickr
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla.

The University of Oklahoma's Board of Regentsvoted unanimously to join the Southeastern Athletic Conference (SEC) Friday.

The move comes after the SEC also voted unanimously to extend an invitation to the Sooners and the University of Texas on Thursday.

OU President Joe Harroz said the move was for stability, preservation and propogation, and will ultimately benefit the university for years to come.

"The board's action today is undoubtedly one of the most significant decisions in our more than a century of athletics and is of true importance to the broader university," said Harroz.

OU and Texas are bound to the Big 12 Conference — of which they’ve been members since 1994 — until June 2025.

But the switch could come earlier as the landscape shifts. In order for OU and Texas to leave the conference earlier than 2025, they would either have to pay a penalty of $75 million to $80 million or hope the Big 12 dissolves before the expiration of the grants of rights contract.

OU officials said they regretted that Oklahoma State University couldn't make the move with the Sooners. However, they hope their athletic Bedlam rivalry can continue in all sports.

Robby Korth joined KOSU as its news director in November 2022.
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