AUSTIN (KXAN) — Since 1996, Texas has been in the Big 12 Conference. We now know the end of their storied run in the conference will come at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 athletic season.
The Big 12 announced Thursday the conference came to an agreement with Texas and Oklahoma for the two schools to leave the conference one year earlier than the original plan of summer 2025. The agreement is subject to approval from the UT and OU governing boards.
The Southeastern Conference has won the last four college football national championships and the last 13 of 17. The Big 12 has not won a championship since the Longhorns took home the title in 2005.
Texas will keep its rivalry with Oklahoma when they move to the SEC and renew some old rivalries.
Teams in the SEC
The SEC has 14 teams right now:
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Arkansas Razorbacks
- Auburn Tigers
- Florida Gators
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Kentucky Wildcats
- LSU Tigers
- Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Missouri Tigers
- Ole Miss Rebels
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Vanderbilt Commodores
Texas A&M and Missouri were with the Longhorns in the Big 12 until 2012 when they bolted for the SEC. Can Texas fans expect to face the Aggies and Tigers every year? Let’s break down what Longhorns fans can expect.
Possible SEC Schedule
The SEC currently has two divisions: East and West. Each division consists of seven teams with the winner of each division earning a spot in the conference championship game.
It appears that the conference will move to a model without divisions when it moves to 16 teams. Two options are to have a nine-game conference schedule with three permanent games, or an eight-game conference slate with one permanent opponent.
For Texas, their one permanent opponent would figure to be Oklahoma. The Longhorns currently play a nine-game conference slate in the Big 12.
If the Longhorns’ three permanent opponents were the ones they had the most history against, it would be Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Arkansas, who used to battle Texas in the Southwest Conference for about eight decades. If that was the case, a possible Texas schedule in 2025 could look like this:
- Week 1: @ Ohio State
- Week 2: San Jose State
- Week 3: UTEP
- Week 4: vs. Alabama
- Week 5: @ Georgia
- Week 6: vs. Oklahoma (in Dallas)
- Week 7: @ Texas A&M
- Week 8: @ Vanderbilt
- Week 9: vs. Kentucky
- Week 10: vs. Arkansas
- Week 11: @ Florida
- Week 12: vs. Tennessee
If Texas had only one permanent opponent and an eight-game conference scheduke, they would have more freedom to rotate teams and venues each year. That could result in a schedule like this for 2027.
Week 1: vs. Michigan
Week 2: vs. UTEP
Week 3: vs. non-conference opponent
Week 4: @ South Carolina
Week 5: vs. Texas A&M
Week 6: vs. Oklahoma (in Dallas)
Week 7: @ Florida
Week 8: @ Vanderbilt
Week 9: vs. non-conference opponent
Week 10: vs. Auburn
Week 11: @ Alabama
Week 12: vs. Missouri
