The University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma officially joined the SEC July 1. This comes after both schools’ board of regents accepted the SEC’s invitation in 2021.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey spoke about the atmosphere that Oklahoma and Texas will provide. He praised the competitive fan environments both schools foster.
Sankey also said the addition of Texas and Oklahoma will allow for “an incredible future for the Southeastern Conference as a 16-member league.” This will be the first time that the SEC has seen an expansion since 2012, when Missouri and Texas A&M became members.
The addition of the two talented teams is sure to increase the competitiveness of Alabama’s conference games in various sports, especially considering the historic challenges Alabama teams have faced against Oklahoma and Texas.
Football
The first matchup between Alabama and Texas came in 1902 and was a low-scoring game where the Longhorns emerged with a 10-0 win. The Crimson Tide’s first matchup with Oklahoma came 61 years later, a 17-0 win for Alabama in the 1963 Orange Bowl.
The last time Alabama and Texas met was Sept. 9, 2023. Texas won the game 34-24. The most notable matchup between the two, however, was an Alabama win in the 2010 BCS National Championship.
The last game Alabama played against Oklahoma was six years ago, a major matchup in the College Football Playoffs. The Crimson Tide won the action-packed game 45-34.
Texas and Alabama are both coming off 12-2 seasons in which they both won their respective conference championships, made the College Football Playoffs and fell short in the semifinals. Oklahoma finished with a 10-3 record and a loss in the Alamo Bowl in their second season under head coach Brent Venables.
Alabama has a history of struggling against both Oklahoma and Texas. Despite winning the most recent matchup, Oklahoma still holds a 3-2-1 overall lead. Texas holds an all-time 8-2-1 lead.
Men’s basketball
Along with the 11 matchups in football, there have been 11 matchups between Alabama and Texas in men’s basketball. Texas still holds the better record, with an all-time 7-4 mark. The last matchup was the Vulcan Classic in 2017, which Texas won 66-50.
Alabama played its last game against Oklahoma in 2023, which was also a loss, bringing its record against the Sooners to 3-10.
Oklahoma failed to make the NCAA Tournament this past season, and Texas finished with a second-round loss to Tennessee. By contrast, Alabama made the Final Four and was pegged as No. 1 in the NCAA’s power rankings in May following the NBA draft early entry withdrawal deadline. With such high potential, Alabama will have the opportunity to close the losing gap in coming seasons.
Baseball
Alabama’s baseball history with Oklahoma and Texas is brief. Despite losing a three-game series to Oklahoma in 2018, Alabama holds a 5-2 record in the all-time series. On the other hand, Texas swept Alabama in their most recent meeting, a three-game series back in 2022, to add to Texas’ 11-1 record over Alabama since the teams’ first meeting in 1899.
Looking ahead
While the full schedules haven’t been released for every SEC sport, some teams have unveiled matchups with their new conference foes. On the basketball court, Oklahoma comes to Tuscaloosa, while the Crimson Tide heads to Texas for a road battle. The volleyball team will take on both Oklahoma and Texas. Alabama football will meet with Oklahoma on Nov. 23 but won’t play Texas this season.
With just a couple of months until fall sports begin, fans can only wait and see the impact the SEC’s newest members have on Alabama athletics.