Oklahoma officially joins SEC along with Texas Longhorns as conference realignment takes new strides in CFB world

The Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns are officially members of the SEC. The two schools became members of the conference on July 1, 2024 after they were allowed to leave the Big 12 a year early to join the SEC.

Texas and Oklahoma were part of the college football realignment that shook up the college sports world over the past two years. Both schools will look to achieve immediate success in the SEC.

"We need to build a team that come January can beat Alabama, LSU and Georgia, and I'd throw in Ohio State and Clemson, too, because those are the teams that in some shape or form are in the playoff just about every year," Texas longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian told his new bosses on the Forty Acres, via ESPN.

"We can't get enamored with just building a team to win the Big 12. We're going to have to build a team that can take down Alabama in January. I'm not talking September, but in January be equipped to beat those teams you're going to have to beat to win a national championship."

Although both Texas and Oklahoma have joined the SEC, the schools truly will join the conference this fall when the 2024 college football season begins.

Oklahoma head coach, Brent Venables, meanwhile, says he's eager for the challenge of playing in the SEC.

"Everything matters. There's a very small margin for error," Venables said (per ESPN). "There are so many things that decide games in this league, and you better be ready for all of them. How ready are we? We're going to find out. Until you're in the middle of it, you don't really truly know. So it would just be conjecture on my part. As I said, we'll find out.

"What I do know is the challenge of it all, the depth of the teams in that conference, and what I feel best about is the depth of the investment that we have from our players, several of them going on their third year here."

Texas will play Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, and Texas A&M as notable SEC opponents in 2024. Oklahoma, meanwhile, will face Tennessee, Auburn, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Alabama, and LSU in their first year in the SEC.

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How did Texas and Oklahoma celebrate being part of the SEC?

The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners both had celebrations in honor of the schools joining the SEC.

Texas held a large event on Sunday on campus that was free, including interactive games, activities, food, and drinks for fans. Texas-SEC merchandise was also available for purchase, while SEC commissioner Greg Sankey officially welcomed Texas to the SEC and Pitbull performed a free concert.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, set off fireworks at midnight celebrating the school now being in the SEC. On July 1, the school is hosting "Wake Up in the SEC" events in Oklahoma City and Tulsa with pep rallies being held.