“This all seems very serious,” Harroz said, drawing a faint laugh from the 50-plus media members and associates present during Monday’s press conference in OU’s interview room on the southwest side of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.Joe Castiglione“This has been, as you might know, some years in the making,” Harroz said. “I was hoping to one day have this press conference where we actually announced that the University of Oklahoma was joining the Southeastern Conference, and that day is today.
This year, the Sooners will play eight conference opponents: Tennessee, Auburn, Texas, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Mizzou, Alabama and LSU. The College Football Playoff will transition from a four-team bracket to a 12-team bracket this year. It’s a new ball game.. “Programs in the Big 12 don’t have the grind programs in the SEC have.
“We didn’t grow by just 2%. We grew by 11% last year, and we’re going to have double-digit growth again this year,” Harroz said. “When you look at it, the analysis is crystal clear. Those 14 schools bring over $100 billion in impact to their states, and they travel, and they get engaged, and it gives us a bigger stage,” said Harroz, an Oklahoma City native. “I grew up here. I’m from Oklahoma.