Texas HC Steve Sarkisian expresses excitement as the Longhorns officially join SEC: "This is pretty neat to see the energy"

It is a new era for Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian after officially joining the premier football conference in college sports, the SEC (Southeastern Conference) on July 1. The occasion was marked with extravagant and expansive celebrations at the UT Austin Campus which culminated in a performance by musician Pitbull.

Sarkisian has been in the SEC before as an assistant to retired Alabama coach Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa in 2016 before departing for the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. He returned between 2019 and 2020 to call plays for the Crimson Tide.

During the Longhorns' elaborate celebrations, Steve Sarkisian expressed his excitement at his program officially joining the SEC and the energy shown by the fans during the festivities.

He said:

"I just think it speaks volumes to Longhorns nation, the support we have from everybody is really incredible and it's not just that they're here, it's the energy that they're providing too. That's why we love them while we're on the road and when we're at home to know that we have Longhorns nation behind us.

You know I don't really get to enjoy People Boulevard during a gameday weekend, so this is pretty neat to see the energy just the energy and the excitement that's going on right now. The fanfare in the SEC is something that our fans are gonna enjoy."

The Texas Board of Regents chairman Kevin Eltife reiterated the words by Sarkisian after the celebrations.

“We believe the SEC is where we belong," Kevin Eltife said. "We respect the schools in the SEC, and we’re excited to compete against them.”

Steve Sarkisian's Texas tipped as top team in the SEC

The Texas Longhorns broke away from the Big 12 and joined the SEC alongside rivals, Oklahoma, and will bring the intensity of the Red River Rivalry to the new conference.

During an appearance on "The Next Round," analyst Joel Klatt predicted that the Texas Longhorns and coach Steve Sarkisian who have one of the deepest quarterback rooms in college football will easily be a top team in the SEC.

"(They rank) second. Easily second. I don't know if there's a close third actually. The top two teams are actually far superior than everybody else," Klatt said.

"I think there's some really good teams (that will in) all likelihood wind up in the Top 10. I just happen to believe, at least at this point, that there are four really elite teams in college football." Klatt said, "Texas is one of those and obviously Georgia is one of those as well."

Steve Sarkisian has revived the Texas Longhorns and reached the college football playoff last season when only four teams were allowed in. The expectations will be high to go a step further in one of the toughest conferences in the country.