Texas Set to Host SEC Celebration Day to Kick-Off New Partnership

Afternoon Activities on June 30th Will Commemorate the Longhorns Joining the SEC, Including Concerts, Food and Game-Day Activities.

Texas cheerleaders parade down Bevo Boulevard ahead of the Longhorns' game against the BYU Cougars at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA

The University of Texas and Texas Longhorns Athletics announced on Wednesday that they will be hosting an SEC celebration day on Sunday, June 30 on the Main Mall at the University of Texas at Austin.

The all-day celebration will take place from 1 P.M. to 10 P.M. and is completely free for the Longhorn community. 

“UT’s move to the Southeastern Conference is an extraordinary moment for Texas Athletics, Longhorn Nation and our entire University. It is only fitting that we celebrate this occasion with a Texas-sized party on the Forty Acres, open to all,” Texas president Jay Hartzell said in an email to university students. 

Hartzell and the university will be bringing a mix of classic game-day activities and blockbuster appearances, noting a concert from a “to-be-announced global superstar” at 9 P.M. Starting as early as 2 P.M., Texas will bring festivities like the iconic Bevo Boulevard ferris wheel, a waterslide and inflatable games. 

The SEC will officially introduce itself at 8:30 that night, featuring speeches from Hartzell, notable Texas staffers and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. As denoted in the same email, ‘This ceremony will mark a historic moment as the Longhorns are officially welcomed into the SEC and will be followed by a spectacular fireworks show from the UT Tower.’

The event will also feature the first time fans will have access to co-branded merchandise between the University of Texas and the SEC. Alongside merch, concerts and activities, the event will be broadcast on the SEC Network starting at 5 P.M. The university will also include a variety of food trucks and the Still Austin Music Lounge that will serve an assortment of on-tap beverages. 

The Longhorns are making sure their entrance to the SEC is noticed by the rest of the college sports world, and the fans and students of the university will be spoiled with entertainment throughout the night at the home of the newest member of the SEC.