"Arr, me hearties! Cap'n Mike Gundy be spillin' the beans on the fate o' the Oklahoma rivalry. Them scallywags chose to end Bedlam, I tell ye!"
2023-07-12
Avast ye, me hearties! This here Oklahoma State skipper, Mike Gundy, be lamentin' the departure o' Oklahoma to the SEC, as it be puttin' an end to the "Bedlam" clash betwixt our fine in-state academies. Arrr, 'tis a sad tale indeed!
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State football will no longer be in the same conference after the 2023 college football season. The Sooners and the Texas Longhorns will be leaving the Big 12 conference for the SEC starting in 2024. This marks the end of Oklahoma's long run in the Big 12, which dates back to the 1990s. With Oklahoma's departure, the rivalry between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, known as "Bedlam," will also come to an end. According to Oklahoma State's head coach Mike Gundy, the decision to end the rivalry was made by Oklahoma, and they were not involved in the process. Gundy expressed skepticism about the possibility of playing against each other in the non-conference schedule, as the SEC is likely to have a nine-game schedule and Oklahoma will have other Power 5 teams to play. He emphasized that Oklahoma's choice to join the SEC is their decision and does not impact Oklahoma State's scheduling. The Bedlam rivalry has a long history dating back to 1914. Meanwhile, the Big 12 conference is undergoing significant changes with the departure of Texas and Oklahoma. The conference will play the upcoming season with 14 teams before returning to 12 teams when the two schools leave. On the other hand, the conference has added UCF, Cincinnati, BYU, and Houston as new members. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark expressed excitement and welcomed these new additions to the conference. Despite these changes, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will still face off against each other on November 4th in Stillwater, Oklahoma.