Josh Heupel has great comment on Texas joining SEC

Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel at the 2021 Music City Bowl NCAA college football game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021. Photo Credit: Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The SEC is getting two big new additions when Texas and Oklahoma join the conference next year, and Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is already trying to fuel new rivalries.

Heupel was asked by a reporter on Thursday whether Tennessee or Texas will have the “real claim to be able to call itself UT.” The coach didn’t miss a beat.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel says “There’s only one real UT” when asked if Texas or Tennessee will have the UT label when the Longhorns join the SEC pic.twitter.com/lSQ2TtHOZF

— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) July 20, 2023

“There’s only one real UT,” Heupel said confidently.

Heupel then paused for a moment before adding, “and one right shade of orange.”

Unfortunately, Tennessee and Texas are not going to face off when the Longhorns join the SEC next year. The earliest the two teams would meet is in 2025. Though, Tennessee is scheduled to play Oklahoma — Heupel’s alma mater — in 2024.

Heupel has quickly turned things around for a struggling Vols program, and he was recently rewarded for it. He has certainly earned the right to talk a little trash to the new kid in town.