OU and Army announce home-and-home series beginning in 2018: Oklahoma and Army have signed an agreement to begin a two-game football series in 2018. OU and the United States Military Academy made the joint announcement today. The Sooners will host the Black Knights on Sept. 22, 2018, then travel to West Point, NY, to return the game on Sept. 26, 2020. "Naturally, we're thrilled to announce this agreement with Army," said OU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Programs & Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione. "We have tremendous respect for what the Academy represents and will be privileged to share the football field with its team. "We also recognize the large number of military personnel serving in the general vicinity of Norman and we hope that this series intrigues and excites them just as it does us. And, of course, on the return game, we will be very near New York City, which provides very good East Coast exposure for our program and university." The games will represent the fourth and fifth between the two institutions, who have not met since 1961. OU leads the series, 2-1. (SoonerSports.com)

Labels: Army, Future Schedule, Oklahoma Sooners, University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Dallas Cowboys, ESPN announce five-year agreement; BYU, Oklahoma to meet Sept. 5th: ESPN officially announced the anticipated BYU-Oklahoma game at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas. From the ESPN press release:

ESPN will televise the first college football game at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 5 when Oklahoma and BYU take the field in what will be the 2009 season opener for both teams. The Labor Day weekend contest will kickoff in prime time and be televised on ABC or ESPN as part of the second annual ESPN Kickoff Week Presented by Gillette, which will feature extensive college football content across multiple ESPN outlets during the first week of the season.

The game will mark the beginning of a new five-year agreement between the Dallas Cowboys and ESPN to bring a top college football game to the club's new stadium each year during the Labor Day holiday weekend that kicks off the college football season. The starting time and ticket information for the game will be announced at a later date.

The OU-BYU game this fall will be just the second meeting between these two well-known college football programs. The Cougars won the only previous meeting 31-6 in the 1994 Copper Bowl.

"We are excited to host such strong traditional college football programs as those at the University of Oklahoma and Brigham Young University in our first-ever college football game at our new stadium," said Dallas Cowboys Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones. "I don’t think there is a better place than Texas to celebrate the kickoff of the 2009 college football season, and I don't think you will find a better stadium for watching that football action than our new home in Arlington."

Labels: BYU, Future Schedule, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

OU-BYU at new Cowboys Stadium? UPDATE Brigham Young football coach Bronco Mendenhall caused waves Tuesday, telling reporters that BYU could be playing a game at the Dallas Cowboys stadium in 2009. Mendenhall singled out Oklahoma as a possible opponent. "I know that we have been and are being considered for some early games next year, and that was one of them," Mendenhall said. "There was a chance that it could be against Oklahoma. But there were a list of teams for us to play, or we might have been just one of the teams being considered to play." The Salt Lake Tribune reported discussions are ongoing with ESPN representatives for BYU to play a game next September at the new Cowboys stadium. OU spokesman Kenny Mossman, however, said talk of a game with BYU in Dallas is premature. (More at The Oklahoman) (11/05/08)
UPDATE: Brigham Young athletic director Tom Holmoe told reporters Wednesday that he's close to finalizing BYU's 2009 schedule. Will that include playing Oklahoma in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Texas in a season-opener? "I think everybody knows that when I am working with scheduling, I don't want to announce anything, or say anything out there until it is done," Holmoe told The Salt Lake Tribune. "Right now, it is pretty obvious there are a lot of things that are going on. It is not that I have been trying to keep anything from the fans or the press or anything, but we are very close to solidifying a change." (Jake Trotter's OU Blog)

Labels: BYU, Future Schedule, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Oklahoma, Tulsa agree to extend football series: With two games remaining on their current football scheduling agreement, Oklahoma and Tulsa have agreed to a new contract that will add another three games to the series. The schools made the announcement jointly on Friday. The Sooners and Golden Hurricane will play in Norman in 2009 and 2011 under the existing pact. The new agreement calls for a Sept. 14, 2013 game in Norman, a Sept. 20, 2014 game in Tulsa and a Sept. 26, 2015 game in Norman. "Our series with Tulsa is a good one on many fronts," said OU Vice President for Sports Programs and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione. "It makes sense for two in-state schools to compete on a somewhat routine basis, plus it allows us to play before many of our fans and alumni in the Tulsa area. "TU has had a good football program for a many years and we certainly respect the caliber of team it puts on the field." OU and TU have played 23 games in a series that dates back to 1914. The two schools have clashed seven times since 1990 and four times this decade. (SoonerSports.com)

Stoops puts focus on Big 12 wins: The Oklahoman

OU caravan notebook: The Oklahoman

OU caravan rumbles in with 2008 question: Tulsa World

Years later, Stoops still OU's man: Tulsa World

Labels: Future Schedule, Oklahoma Sooners, Tulsa Football

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Oklahoma-Ohio State Series; Oklahoma Finalizes '08 Schedule: Perennial college football powerhouses Oklahoma and Ohio State will begin a two-game series in 2016. That announcement came today when OU also announced the completion of its 2008 schedule. Tennessee-Chattanooga is the opponent for the final open date that was remaining on the slate for the upcoming season. The Ohio State games will rekindle a series that has been dormant since 1983 when the Buckeyes notched a 24-14 win in Norman. In the previous matchups both Oklahoma and Ohio State brought top-10 rankings into the game. The first game of the new series will take place Sept. 17, 2016 in Norman. It will be followed by a Sept. 16, 2017 game at Columbus. (SoonerSports PR)

OU quiet about published report: Citing unnamed sources, The Sporting News on Monday reported that Jay Norvell will be named co-offensive coordinator / passing game coordinator at Oklahoma. But Kenny Mossman, OU's athletic media relations director, said he has spoken numerous times with head coach Bob Stoops about wide receivers coach Kevin Sumlin's replacement, and Stoops hasn't told him that a hiring is imminent. "I saw that report, and I've heard about that report, but I cannot corroborate that report," Mossman said. (Tulsa World)

Lofton enters NFL Draft: Tulsa World

Recruit ready to decide: Tulsa World

Lofton leaving early: Norman Transcript

Lofton latest to leave Oklahoma for NFL: Norman Transcript

Sooners' Lofton to enter NFL Draft: The Oklahoman

Defections could hurt OU, Texas title hopes: The Oklahoman

Labels: Future Schedule, Oklahoma Sooners, Report, Schedule

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

R. Smith held out of scrimmage: [Bob] Stoops said [Reggie] Smith's day off was a preventive decision. "Reggie's got just a slight nagging deal in his leg. It isn't anything serious. We're just making sure this is the time to get it healed," Stoops said. "He could have gone today, but we're going to make sure it's healed and where it needs to be. I don't want it to bother him through the year." Patrick wore a medical boot on his right leg and was on crutches due to the ankle injury he suffered Wednesday. He's expected to be out at least another week. (Norman Transcript)

Others held out: Fred Strong, Brody Eldridge, Kody Cooke, Jonte Bumpus, Eric Mensik. (NewsOK.com)

Oklahoma-TCU rematch? A game is needed to finish off the 2008 and 2009 schedules, and TCU is thinking big -- as in Big 12, Big Ten and Big East -- in its search for opponents. Athletic department officials said the contract for a home-and-home series against Oklahoma, which would begin next season, is almost finalized. The Horned Frogs would travel to Norman, Okla., on Sept. 27, 2008, after opening with home games against Stephen F. Austin and Stanford. A game at SMU, originally scheduled for Sept. 27, is likely to be moved to Sept. 20. (Star-Telegram)

Labels: Future Schedule, Injuries, Oklahoma Sooners, Reggie Smith, Scrimmage, TCU

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

OU-ND home-and-home series set for 2012 and 2013: The University of Oklahoma and Notre Dame are planning for two football games, one in Norman in 2012 and one in South Bend, Ind., in 2013. Kenny Mossman, Oklahoma's sports information director, said the two schools are in discussions but have not signed a contract, while Notre Dame sports information director John Heisler said his school "has reached a deal with OU" to play the two contests. Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White previously announced that Oklahoma would replace Michigan for two years after the current contract between Notre Dame and Michigan expires in 2011. White said the goal was to play in different parts of the country in an attempt to return Notre Dame to its independent roots. Heisler said his school has wanted to play the Sooners again ever since the two teams met in 1999 in South Bend. Notre Dame won that game 34-30. It was the first time the two schools had played in 31 years. "We've been talking about this for a long time," Heisler said. "It was just complicated." (AP/ESPN.com)

Football's Dirtiest Programs: #2, Oklahoma: AOL FanHouse

Labels: Future Schedule, Notre Dame, Oklahoma Sooners, Schedule