'Rejoice!': Paul Finebaum Lauds Texas and Oklahoma Joining SEC

The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners joining the SEC might be one of the best things to ever happen to the SEC, according to ESPN's Paul Finebaum

Matt Galatzan | Feb 17, 2023

When news first broke about the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners making their move to the SEC, it was one of the most polarizing moments in the history of college athletics.

The Big 12 giants, who were two of just a handful of programs in the nation that could change the landscape of college sports, did just that, bolting a thought-to-be fledgling conference, for what is now widely considered to be the most powerful one in America.

And despite the conference's rich history, if you ask ESPN's Paul Finebaum, Texas and OU moving to the SEC might be one of the best things that has ever happened to the SEC.

"When the news broke, it was one of the greatest moments in the Southeastern Conference history," Finebaum said during an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic In The Morning. "This thing could not go to 2025, for many, many reasons. With the Big Ten making its move next year and the Big 12 making a move this year, the SEC had to have closure on this."

More than that, he believes all college football fans, and particularly SEC fans should rejoice at the move.

"I think all fans ought to be rejoicing with this move," Finebaum said. "This league with Texas and Oklahoma is fantastic," Finebaum said. "Outside of Notre Dame, show me one other college program in America that would seriously affect the overall well-being and value of the SEC."

Texas and OU will join the conference on July 1, 2024, setting the stage for their last run in the Big 12 in 2023 to be a memorable one.

And once that move is officially made, and the new SEC schedules and divisional structures are released, college football will never be the same again.

You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan

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Published Feb 17, 2023

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.