SEC Network's Paul Finebaum on why Texas joined Southeastern Conference: 'It's A&M's fault'

Did Texas join the Southeastern Conference because of in-state foe Texas A&M?

That's what the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum said on Friday's episode of The SEC Football Podcast. Finebaum, the eponymous host of the famous SEC Network show "The Paul Finebaum Show," said the Longhorns pursued an opportunity to join the top football conference based on the significant success of their in-state rivals, Texas A&M, in the SEC.

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“It's A&M's fault," Finebaum said, explaining why he believes Texas joined the SEC. "A&M was so successful in the SEC that Texas said, ‘We want some of that.’”

Finebaum added that at one point in 2010, Texas was looking to join the Pac-12, as the university wanted to align its education with schools like Stanford and California. Both schools have left the dissipated Pac-12 and will join the ACC conference the following academic year.

How did Texas join the SEC?

Texas and Oklahoma first got approval to join the SEC in July 2021. Then, on Feb. 9, 2023, the two universities agreed to leave the Big 12 Conference early in July 2024, ahead of the 2024 football season. Finebaum said that the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey were not the aggressors in seeking to add Texas and Oklahoma.

Instead, Texas initiated the process.

“All this nonsense we heard, ‘Oh, well the SEC,’” Finebaum added. “The SEC didn’t do anything but answer a phone call. Their attorneys answered a phone call, the same phone call that everyone else got. They were on the prowl, they were leaving, and they were going to go somewhere.”

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Texas A&M's success in the SEC

On  Aug. 31, 2011, Texas A&M announced it would leave the Big 12 in June 2012. In the Aggies' first season playing football in the conference, they won 11 games and the Cotton Bowl under first-year head coach Kevin Sumlin. A&M has struggled to garner a double-digit win total since. But it has also just had one losing season in that span.

When the Aggies take the field for their season opener this year, it will be under former Duke coach Mike Elko, the third coach for A&M since joining the SEC. Sumlin was fired in 2017 and replaced by Jimbo Fisher, whom the Aggies lured away from Florida State with a hefty price tag. Fisher was fired last season after failing to meet the lofty expectations with his contract.

While Texas A&M has not won a single football conference championship, the program has won several conference championships in other sports during its time in the conference.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Paul Finebaum: Texas joined SEC because of in-state rival Texas A&M