Oklahoma Board Of Regents Accepts Offer To Join Southeastern Conference

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE (11:25 a.m. July 30, 2021): The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents has voted to accept an offer to join the Southeastern Conference.

The announcement was made following an executive session on Friday morning where the board discussed the university's conference membership.

This is a breaking news update. Below is the original story.

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The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents is expected to accept an offer to join the Southeastern Conference on Friday. 

The board will head into an executive session at 9 AM to discuss conference membership. 

The SEC voted unanimously, 14-0, Thursday to invite both OU and Texas to join the conference on July 1, 2025. 

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in part, "The unanimous vote is a testament to the SEC's long-standing spirit of unity and mutual cooperation, as well as a recognition of the outstanding legacies of academic and athletic excellence established by the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas." 

However, not everyone in Oklahoma is happy with the move. 

Some Oklahoma Lawmakers sent a letter to OU President Joseph Harroz saying change isn't what's best for the state. 

"I just don't understand it. They've never come to the Legislature, the body that essentially appropriates them hundreds of millions of dollars. They never brought us in on any of it, even our leadership," said Rep. Trey Caldwell (R-Lawton). 

Both Oklahoma and Texas could join the SEC even sooner than 2025 if they negotiate a buyout with the Big 12.