The Southeastern Conference added the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners to its list of members last July, adding two new powerhouse programs for Alabama to compete with in all sports.
In the two years prior, Alabama football had an home-and-home series scheduled with Texas, in which Alabama went 1-1. The last time the Crimson Tide had seen Oklahoma was in the College Football Playoffs in 2018.
This season, in football and baseball, the Crimson Tide only faced the Sooners. But the men’s basketball team competed against both of the new SEC additions this past season.
Against Oklahoma, Alabama accumulated a total record of 5-8 across all sports this year. Against Texas, the record is 1-1, as the only games played this year between the two were in basketball.
Football
Alabama arguably put on its worst performance of the football season against Oklahoma, losing 24-3 to a 5-5 unranked Sooners team.
The game — in which the Crimson Tide did not score a touchdown — is likely what kept Alabama out of the College Football Playoffs, though new SEC member Texas took part.
After SEC play, Texas finished No. 1 in the conference, with Alabama following in the No. 4 spot and Oklahoma in the No. 13 spot.
With no future matches currently set between Alabama and Texas, the only new competition lies with the Sooners when the teams meet in Tuscaloosa Nov. 15.Â
Baseball
Alabama put on better showings against the Sooners in baseball, winning its series against No. 9 Oklahoma 2-1.Â
Alabama baseball now holds a 6-2 record all-time against the Sooners. Meanwhile, no recent meetings with the Longhorns means Texas still holds an 11-1 record over Alabama.
The win against Oklahoma helped propel Alabama baseball into the No. 8 spot in the rankings before it began to fall, finishing No. 9 in SEC, ahead of Oklahoma in the 12th spot but behind Texas, which finished No. 1.
With its first 40-win season since 2002 and a lot of incoming talent, Alabama is in a good spot to launch itself into the conversation for future SEC and NCAA tournaments alongside Texas, which is a constant force in college baseball and was ranked No. 1 for much of the season.
Softball
Alabama softball’s history with the SEC newcomers is the most exciting out of any other sport, with 28 games taking place with the two teams all-time and the Crimson Tide holding a decent 17-11 record.
The Crimson Tide is 7-2 against the Longhorns, with the last matchup taking place in Austin in 2023, where Alabama won 4-3 after 11 innings.
The history with Oklahoma is a little longer and not quite as successful.
Alabama is 10-9 all-time against the Sooners, with the first matchup taking place in 2006, when the Crimson Tide won 5-0 in Fullerton, California.
This past season, the Crimson Tide took on the Sooners five times, with two of the games taking place in the Super Regionals to go to the College World Series.
During the season, Alabama won the three-game series 2-1 in Tuscaloosa. The teams met again in the Super Regionals in Norman where the Sooners beat Alabama twice, ending the season and College World Series hopes for the Crimson Tide.
Men’s basketball
In men’s basketball, the Crimson Tide got the chance to meet both of the new faces in the SEC.
Alabama first hosted No. 12 Oklahoma in a game in which guard Mark Sears dropped 22 points in the 28-point victory in January.
A little over a month later, the Longhorns hosted the Crimson Tide in Austin. Alabama won the game 103-80. The win was revenge for the last loss the Crimson Tide suffered to the Longhorns, which was in 2017 when Texas beat Alabama in the Vulcan Classic.
Alabama still falls behind in all-time records against both teams, though, with Oklahoma now holding a 10-4 record and the Longhorns leading Alabama 7-5.
Oklahoma finished 14th in the SEC, with Texas falling behind at No. 15, and Alabama finishing third.Â
Oklahoma and Texas both made an exit in the second round of the SEC tournament, while the Crimson Tide lost to the eventual national champions, the Florida Gators, in the semifinals.
All three teams received a bid in the NCAA tournament, but Alabama made it the farthest. The Crimson Tide made its exit in the Elite Eight to Duke, while Oklahoma was out in the first round, and the Longhorns made their exit quickest in the First Four.
As it stands, Alabama is likely to be a consistent top contender in the SEC and even on the national level, while the Sooners and Longhorns attempt to restore some historical success.
Women’s basketball
Alabama’s history with Oklahoma and Texas in women’s basketball is very brief, with just six games total ever taking place between Alabama and the two.
Before Alabama lost to the Longhorns by 44 points in January, the previous matchup resulted in a loss for Alabama in the second round of March Madness in 2024.
The game before that took place in Las Vegas in 1984, where Alabama lost 85-53, a year after losing to the Longhorns in Austin 82-56.
A little over 10 years later is when the Crimson Tide met the Sooners for the first time, losing to Oklahoma 71-62 in December 1995.
Almost 20 years later, this last season is when the two teams finally reunited. Alabama made the trip to Norman on March 2, losing the game 91-84.
Alabama now holds a 6-0 deficit all-time to both teams. However, now with future matchups set as conference foes, Alabama will begin its search for vengeance against Oklahoma and Texas.
Gymnastics
Alabama’s history with Texas and Oklahoma in gymnastics is relatively non-existent and unsuccessful, accumulating a 2-12 record all-time just against Oklahoma.
Alabama has never faced the Longhorns but has history with the Sooners dating back to 2007, when the Crimson Tide won 195.7-194.5 in Tuscaloosa.
The next win for the Crimson Tide came in 2013 at another home meet and was a closer margin of victory at 197.525-196.9.
Since the 2013 victory, the teams have met 10 more times, and Alabama has lost every time.
The most recent meeting came in the NCAA semifinals in April after the teams met for the first time last season back in January, which was a loss in Coleman Coliseum.
