Texas hoops unofficially joins football as ‘SEC program’ after finale

Texas’ move to the SEC got more real after its Big 12 regular season finale against Oklahoma.

Texas football has been an SEC program for a couple of months now. Basketball is soon to join it on the other side of the move from the Big 12.

The Longhorns played their last Big 12 regular season game in Saturday’s win over the Oklahoma Sooners. After the upcoming week’s conference tournament, the team’s only tie to the league will be representing it in neutral site games over March Madness before departing.

There’s no love lost between the Longhorns and their current league. This season has seen fans of a couple teams chant “S-E-C” to punctuate victory over Texas. The Longhorns don’t take it as an insult.

Texas is on to bigger and better things in football, but the move to its new conference will make for a more manageable basketball schedule that what it has faced in the Big 12. College basketball’s juggernaut increased in difficulty when it added Houston to a conference led by Kansas, Baylor, Iowa State and other prominent basketball programs.

The Longhorns’ time in the Big 12 is coming to an end. Saturday marked the final basketball regular season in the conference.

Texas will play its final Big 12 basketball tournament as it tips off March 12.