Five years ago, how the biggest move in realignment history - Texas and OU to the SEC - all went down

Five years ago, college athletics changed forever when Texas and Oklahoma moved to the Southeastern Conference. This shift remains the most significant realignment development in the history of the sport, yet the details behind the curtain stayed hidden for years.

Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte and Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione led the efforts. In the heat of the 2020 pandemic, they met in Dallas and drove a white Chevy pickup truck over nine hours to Birmingham, Alabama, to meet with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. The duo joked about their journey as a mission from God, a secret alliance that required absolute discretion to prevent the deal from falling apart before it reached the finish line.

Strategic planning started well before that drive. Texas began assessing its future in 2018, spurred by the loss of specific tax write-offs for athletic contributions. Board members recognized that the landscape of college football was shifting toward a model that rewarded scale and revenue, making the SEC a clear destination for growth. While rivals and external observers speculated about the stability of the Big 12, leadership at both Texas and Oklahoma maintained their focus on a long-term transition.

Secrecy proved essential. Had word leaked early, political pressure and internal opposition could have killed the transition. President Jay Hartzell and other university leaders navigated intense scrutiny from state legislatures and rival programs to ensure the move proceeded on their terms. By the time the news broke during SEC Media Days in Hoover, the path was already set.

This partnership was a 50-50 effort between two historically bitter rivals. Both institutions honored their commitments to the Big 12 during the transition, eventually securing their spots in the SEC ahead of schedule. The move transformed the conference map and established a new standard for how major programs pursue their strategic interests in a changing environment.