Texas and Oklahoma officially join the SEC as league expands to 16 teams

The day we’ve been awaiting for nearly three years is finally upon us.

On Monday, the calendar turned to July, and that means that the SEC has officially now expanded to 16 teams with Texas and Oklahoma formally joining the conference on July 1. This also means that the SEC West, which LSU has occupied since the conference moved to divisions in 1992 with the additions of South Carolina and Arkansas , is no more.

The Tigers are set to face one of those newcomers this fall as the Sooners come to Baton Rouge to end the regular season. LSU could also theoretically face Texas in the SEC Championship, which will now pit the top two teams in the standings against each other.

Only time will tell what adding two of the sport’s biggest brands will mean for the SEC, but one thing is for certain: This league will never be the same, and 2024 is shaping up to be a year of significant change in college football in several ways.

The good news is that we’re now in July. Fall training camp will begin before the month is out, and college football is just around the corner.

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