How many teams are in the SEC? A closer look at the conference re-alignment and expansion rumors

The Southeastern Conference is set to expand on July 1, 2024, for the first time since the Missouri Tigers and Texas A&M Aggies joined the conference in 2012.

The SEC was founded in 1932 with 13 teams. Those teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Kentucky Wildcats, LSU Tigers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Ole Miss Rebels, Sewanee Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, Tulane Green Wave and Vanderbilt Commodores.

The Sewanee Tigers left the conference in 1940 followed by Georgia Tech in 1964 and Tulane in 1966. There were no additional additions or departures until 1991 when the Arkansas Razorbacks and South Carolina Gamecocks joined the conference.

Over 20 years later, the Missouri Tigers and Texas A&M Aggies brought the total number of teams back to 14, where it remains today.

How will conference realignment affect the SEC?

Conference realignment will drastically alter the landscape of college football in 2024 and the SEC is no different. The Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns will join the conference on July 1, 2024, bringing the total number of teams to a conference record of 16.

While the conference has employed East and West divisions since 1992, that will no longer be the case in 2024. The SEC Championship Game, which has pitted division winners against one another since its inception in 1992, will now consist of the two teams with the best conference record.

The conference schedule will continue to consist of eight games despite having 16 teams. While the league was accused of prioritizing protecting winning records of lower-level programs in the conference, each team will face a very tough schedule.

Who will the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns face in their first year in the conference?

The Oklahoma Sooners will host the Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, Tennessee Volunteers and host the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in 2024. They will visit the Auburn Tigers, LSU Tigers, Missouri Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels.

The Texas Longhorns will host the Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats and Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2024. They will visit the Arkansas Razorbacks, Texas A&M Aggies and Vanderbilt Commodores and serve as the road team against the Sooners in Dallas.

Check out the full 2024 conference schedule below: