San Antonio’s highly-anticipated Alamo Bowl will be experiencing a notable shakeup as Texas and Oklahoma make their transition to the Southeastern Conference (SEC), effectually barring these fan favorites from the Bowl's selection pool for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, this is according to a report by KSAT. Brett McMurphy of the Action Network highlighted that attempts by the Bowl to retain its option to select either the Longhorns or the Sooners were met with “pushback” from multiple parties including the schools in question, their future conference peers, and the SEC itself, no doubt a balancing act of conflicting interests and contractual obligations.

In the shadow of the College Football Playoff's expanded 12-team field debut, the Bowl sought to keep its ties to Texas and Oklahoma, traditionally its star attractors, however, in a move that seems to dash hopes for continuity, the Alamo Bowl has been told to look elsewhere for its Big 12 reps. As MySA reports, an identified source elaborated, “Allowing the Alamo to take OU or Texas instead of a Pac-12 legacy team would have caused a lot of issues with the SEC bowl,” an indication that, politics aside, the gridiron’s real wars are often waged off the field.

Historically, Texas holds the record with the most appearances at the Alamo Bowl, having colored the event with six celebrated outings, cementing San Antonio as a favored holiday season hotspot. Oklahoma, on their end, has not been a stranger to the excitement and has had its fair share of Alamo Bowl glory. The absence of these high-profile teams could change the Bowl's dynamics substantially, and yet, the officials are poised to move forward, with different teams, but presumably, the same spirited ambiance.

Derrick Fox, President and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl, maintains an optimistic outlook amidst this shakeup, stating, “With 10 teams leaving the Pac-12 conference this upcoming season, we have had lengthy conversations with all the autonomy conferences. It was very clear to us that everyone has a genuine interest in playing in the Valero Alamo Bowl and spending the holiday season in San Antonio. We look forward to announcing our selection rights for the 2024 and 2025 Valero Alamo Bowls and adding to our track record of hosting thrilling games between nationally ranked teams in front of capacity crowds.” he then expanded his view on the future of the Bowl in San Antonio.

This turn of events will necessitate new strategies for the Alamo Bowl's team selection process, due to start in 2024, where the emphasis will need to shift—not only to fill the void left by the Longhorns and Sooners but also to continue the Bowl's history of riveting matchups and healthy attendances.