Report: Texas spent $2.3 million on SEC party

Cam Smith

Report: Texas spent $2.3 million on SEC party image

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Joining the SEC has been a huge bullseye the entire University of Texas has been pointing toward for multiple years, so when the date the move became officially finally arrived, the Longhorns were in a mood to party. 

Just how big a mood? Well, let's just call it a $2.3 million mood. No, really. Yo soy fiesta, indeed.

As reported by Sportico, a recent public records request revealed that the University of Texas spent a total of $2.3 million on its SEC entry party. That included a $610,000 payment to the Miami-based rapper Pitbull (we don't understand why he was the choice, either), $339,000 on advertising for the party (and new conference), and more than $35,000 on a Times Square advertisement. 

@bellaestrella27 University of Texas SEC celebration #pitbull #utaustin #universityoftexas #texaslonghorns #hookemhorns #texasgirl ♬ original sound - Bella Estrella

Apparently the school didn't foot the entire bill itself; $1.07 million of the aggregate fees were paid by Learfield, the school's sports marketing partner. A shade under $900,000 was contributed by Texas' athletic department, with additional funding coming from the marketing department. 

Of course, $2.3 million is a drop in the bucket when it comes to Texas' overall athletic revenues. Per Sportico's database, the department earned $271 million in 2023, with a budget of $232 million. 

Scary numbers across the board, but still ... that is one serious party in the middle of the college sports offseason! 

Cam Smith

Cam Smith Photo

Cam Smith is a 20-year sports journalism veteran whose career includes time writing for Yahoo Sports, The Washington Post, USA TODAY and contributions at The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, the Associated Press, Boston Herald and many others. He was born and raised in Texas, but later went to college in the Northeast and never moved back. Now based in Boston, he returns home to Austin as often as he can.