Tennessee Chancellor, AD Issue Statement Welcoming Oklahoma, Texas to SEC

Tennessee has officially welcomed the two schools to the SEC.

Oklahoma and Texas are set to join the Southeastern Conference in 2025. Sure, it could happen earlier, and there are rumblings that both teams could be entrenched in the conference by as early as 2022. Regardless, the move is happening in the coming years, and Tennessee's leadership issued a statement on Friday afternoon.

"I am pleased to welcome the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas to the Southeastern Conference," said Chancellor Donde Plowman. "The SEC is special – with fierce competition at the highest levels of college athletics, and a team spirit when it comes to collaborating in support of our students and student-athletes. Including universities of this caliber on our SEC team will push all of us to be better."

Plowman was joined by Director of Athletics, Danny White, in welcoming the two programs to the SEC.

"From a proud charter member of the Southeastern Conference, and the city in which the league was founded, the University of Tennessee welcomes Oklahoma and Texas to the most powerful and competitive conference in intercollegiate athletics," said White. "This is an exciting time for all SEC fans as we develop new rivalries in the years to come, expand our league’s footprint and continue to elevate its unrivaled student-athlete experience."

The 14 members of the conference voted unanimously to extend an invitation of membership to both programs after the institutions informed the BIG12 of their decision to leave the conference and move towards the SEC.

The move is one that is expected to change the landscape of college athletics forever.