The media relations exodus to the Southeastern Conference continues. Matt Freed, assistant director of media relations, announced Monday that he will be resigning from his position at TCU and taking a similar job at the University of South Carolina.

Freed will join ex-Horned Frogs Eric Hyman, athletics director; Steve Fink, director of media relations; and Kevin O’Connell, executive associate athletics director, who all left for SC following the 2004-2005 academic year.

Freed said moving to the SEC fulfills not only a career ambition, but also a childhood one as well.

“It’s a great opportunity to further the goals that I have,” Freed said. “I’ve worked in the SEC before. It’s a great league … I watched all its games when I was a kid.”

Freed said that although he is excited to work again with Fink, his old boss, it was not his primary reason for leaving TCU.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity of working with Steve in the SEC,” Freed said. “Obviously everybody has their different philosophies, but if everything here had stayed exactly the same, I still would have left.”

A TCU graduate, Freed said he is ready to move on after his long tenure here.

“I’ve been here for almost seven years,” he said. “I feel like I’m ready for a change. They’ve got some things they need to fix up there, and I enjoy being part of building something up.”

Because Freed will remain on staff until Feb. 3, Director of Athletics Media Relations Mark Cohen said, the department has not yet decided how it will fill the vacancy.

“We’re still reviewing what will be the best alternative,” Cohen said. “Hopefully we’ll know for sure in the next couple days.”

Cohen said moves like Freed’s, while not always anticipated, are relatively common.

“If you look anywhere across the country, you see people go to places where they have relationships,” Cohen said. “It’s a people business. “

Although the departure puts the department at a temporary loss, Cohen said, he is excited for Freed’s opportunity.

“I’m proud of him,” Cohen said. “You don’t ever want to say you’re a stepping stone, but you do want people to advance their career.”

Fink, who now heads the media relations department at SC, said being in a marquee conference like the SEC is a great way to do just that.

“I think each situation is unique,” Fink said. “Being in the SEC speaks for itself for South Carolina, and being at a private school has some inherent disadvantages. If you’re at the top of the SEC, you’ll likely be near the top of the nation.