Over the past few weeks of conference realignment chaos, plenty of authorities from around the college football world have weighed in with their opinions.
Oklahoma and Texas’ approved move to the SEC will have a major impact on the current NCAA landscape — and Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley has finally shared his reaction.
During a fall camp press conference on Thursday, Riley addressed the move for the first time.
“My reaction to it: I think for the future it’s gonna be exciting,” the fifth-year OU head coach said, per 247Sports.
“I think it’s gonna be a positive thing for this university, a positive thing for our athletic department, our athletes, our coaches, everybody. It’s exciting to think about but I guess for me it’s tempered because of the task at hand right now. It’s almost like scheduling a big, exciting non-conference matchup eight years down the road. Sure, it will be great when it happens but that doesn’t matter for right now. Right now, we’re a member of the Big 12. I think we’ve represented the conference well in these previous years and intend to do so throughout the duration of our agreement.”
Oklahoma’s stellar representation of the Big 12 is likely one of the reasons the program is leaving the conference. The Sooners have absolutely dominated in recent years, claiming six straight Big 12 titles (four under Riley). Primed to repeat that type of performance again in 2021, OU will look forward to a raised level of competition in the SEC.
Both Oklahoma and Texas were unanimously voted into the conference by the SEC earlier this week. Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian broke his silence on the issue yesterday as well.
The Sooners’ current grant of rights contract with the Big 12 runs until the summer of 2025, meaning that the program is locked in through the 2024 season.
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