The Oklahoma Sooners are coming to the SEC early.

The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents voted Friday to authorize the Sooners’ early departure from the Big 12.

The Sooners – as well as the Texas Longhorns – will be a part of the SEC on July 1, 2024.

“It took a lot of work from everybody to make this happen,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said.

Friday’s vote was the final hurdle for an early departure and comes almost three months after the Big 12 announced an agreement between the league, the departing schools and television partners on an early exit a year before the expiration of the conference’s current grant of rights in 2025.

“We talked about always being there and completing the entire term of the agreement. We were absolutely prepared to do that,” Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz said, per The Tulsa World.

“But as we went into it, you have the four new schools coming in. We all sat down and talked about it. (Big 12) Commissioner Brett Yormark was terrific and we engaged in really constructive conversation about, at the end of the day, is it better for everybody if we expedite this? That was the agreement. That’s one of the reasons that all came together as it did.”

The early exit comes at a reported cost. In February, Ross Dellenger of SI.com reported both Texas and Oklahoma will each forfeit up to $50 million in distributable revenues.

“The approval of these agreements allows OU to seize our future in this era of change for collegiate athletics,” Oklahoma Board of Regents Chair Natalie Shirley said in a press release. “I extend my gratitude to President Harroz, Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione, and my fellow Regents for their collaboration on an accelerated exit that is beneficial for our institution, as well as the Big 12 and SEC.”

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.