From left, University of Texas at Austin Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte, University of Texas System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife and UT Austin President Jay Hartzell pose for a photo at the Tyler-Smith County chapter of the official UT Austin alumni association, Texas Exes, on Thursday night at Hollytree Country Club in Tyler. Eltife, former Tyler mayor and state senator, was named an Outstanding Texas Ex.

Although a trio of the top University of Texas leaders did not want to speak of the Longhorns move to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) from the Big 12, there were plenty of hints Thursday night.

“I would like to thank the Aggies for voting for us,” Tylerite Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT System, said.

Eltife, along with UT president Dr. Jay Hartzell and athletic director Chris Del Conte, were in attendance for the annual Tyler-Smith County Texas Exes Scholarship Dinner on Thursday at Hollytree Country Club. The event was a near sell out and attended by local and national media.

“As you know it’s been a busy week,” said Eltife, who was honored by the organization. “A lot of talk about the possibility of us moving conferences. The SEC voted 14 to 0 to accept the University of Texas and OU. We’ll have a board of regents meeting tomorrow to see the action that we take tomorrow.”

The UT Board is scheduled for meet at 9 a.m. Friday in Austin.

Southeastern Conference university presidents voted Thursday to invite Texas and Oklahoma to the league and create a 16-team powerhouse on the field and at the bank.

The latest step in a move that has potential to help reshape college sports came two days after Texas and Oklahoma requested to join the SEC in 2025. That’s when the schools’ media rights agreement with the Big 12 expires.

The SEC said its leaders voted unanimously to extend invitations to the Longhorns and Sooners and bring them into the conference effective July 1, 2025.

“Today’s unanimous vote is both a testament to the SEC’s longstanding spirit of unity and mutual cooperation, as well as a recognition of the outstanding legacies of academic and athletic excellence established by the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas,” Commissioner Greg Sankey said.

“It’s already the greatest, toughest conference in America. And with those two teams attempting to join this league, it will only get tougher,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer told reporters.

Texas and Oklahoma both have board of regents meetings schedule for Friday with conference affiliation on the agenda.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)