The Southeastern Conference is residence to a number of the largest rivalries in sports activities, stemming from universities that revolve round their sports activities tradition and expertise.
The most up-to-date additions to the convention, in 2024, are the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns. Before then, there hadn’t been any colleges added for 12 years.
Upon the additions, critics mentioned what these colleges would deliver to the convention and how they’d match up towards the expertise within the SEC.
But Oklahoma and Texas have proved these doubts unsuitable. Making their mark in a number of nationwide championship titles and post-season appearances over the previous two years.
This mark, nonetheless, is coming somewhat too near the LSU Tigers.
For starters, LSU and Oklahoma gymnastics have been battling for the nationwide championship title for the previous 4 seasons. This season alone, LSU sat simply behind the Sooners all season lengthy at No. 2, shedding to them twice this season.
This weekend, the 2 will meet once more on the SEC championships in Tulsa, together with six different groups from the highest eight.
Both applications, as measured of their success, are dynasties in school gymnastics. Their mid-season matchups are highlighted because the Super Bowl of NCAA Gymnastics. The first time they met this season, each groups scored a 197.500. In the newest matchup, Oklahoma defeated the Tigers by two-tenths of a degree.
Each of those groups is exact and stuffed with expertise, drawing consideration in class spirit kind and from nationwide audiences. Their matchup has rapidly become a rivalry of the very best versus the very best.
But it doesn’t cease with gymnastics.
Over on the ladies’s basketball courtroom, LSU confronted Oklahoma in its first recreation of the SEC match. The No. 6 Tigers swept the No. 7 Sooners in a 112-78 quarterfinal. Oklahoma may not have been their largest risk for that matchup, however these rankings weren’t simply from within the convention. The Sooners have been intently following LSU within the polls all season lengthy, beginning within the preseason, the place OU was No. 6 and LSU was No. 5.
Once once more, it doesn’t cease there.
The Sooners’ largest rivals, the Longhorns, have additionally frolicked round LSU within the polls this season, however this time in entrance of them. The Tigers’ largest upset of the yr was towards Texas in early January, beating the then-No. 2 staff 70-65. In the next matchup, Texas took the win in a 64-77 retaliation when LSU was No. 5 and the Longhorns had been No. 4.
With Texas being named the SEC champions, the Tigers have a brand new impediment of their method of a nationwide championship this March. LSU and Texas are on the identical facet of the NCAA Women’s Tournament bracket, which means if each groups advance, a Final Four rematch would resolve who makes the championship recreation.
Speaking of obstacles in the best way of a Tigers’ nationwide championship, Texas baseball has been sitting comfortably at No. 3, whereas LSU was No. 2 all season lengthy, with Oklahoma at No. 21. This week’s polls confirmed the Longhorns sitting within the No. 2 spot, whereas LSU was dropped out solely.
While the groups aren’t scheduled to satisfy within the common season, the possibility of a SEC championship matchup is excessive, with these two, together with Mississippi State, being on the high of the rankings persistently. If not there, then NCAA regionals, tremendous regionals or the College World Series might positively deliver the Longhorns and Tigers into the identical ballpark.
LSU will host the Sooners over the weekend for his or her first at-home convention collection. Beyond the rankings, the matchup might nonetheless deliver an upset to Alex Box with the expertise in every program.
As for soccer, the rivalry isn’t as related. Only as a result of it hasn’t had its full potential to show into one.
The Sooners and Tigers have performed each seasons that Oklahoma has been within the convention. In 2024, the Tigers hosted the Sooners, popping out victorious in a 37-17 late-season recreation. The similar week within the 2025 season, the Tigers traveled to Norman and had been defeated 13-17.
College soccer is thought for its home-field benefit, which might justify the loss on the highway and the win at residence for every staff. Or, it may very well be the expertise in every program. Two proficient groups, in the identical convention, assembly every season with completely different outcomes every time? That’s textbook school soccer rivalry.
And it might get began for Texas and LSU this season, too. The Tigers will host the Longhorns in November for a matchup that followers haven’t seen since 2019. The Longhorns made it to the faculty soccer semifinal of their first yr within the SEC and defeated the defending nationwide champions 41-27 in a bowl recreation final season.
From their teaching employees to their younger quarterback, Arch Manning, their soccer program is deeply proficient.
These two additions have given the chance to show themselves within the SEC. And they did. But as an LSU fan, that’s clearly not one thing to have a good time, however one thing to concern.