 nor it came up with the idea to improve the quality of life and hopefully keep young people in central Oklahoma. Estimates are that more than 2 million people have ridden canal boats over the past 25 years. OU begins a new era today. It officially joins the SEC conference. To mark the change, the university is hosting 24 hours of events. The celebration began last night at midnight with fireworks. The SEC network will be broadcasting live from outside the stadium today in Norman.