Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has his doubts about the future of the Bedlam rivalry game with Oklahoma, which is set to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC in 2025.
In July, Oklahoma and Texas accepted invitations to join the SEC, and although that move isn’t scheduled for a few more years, it’s possible the schools could attempt to exit the Big 12 earlier. And with nonconference games often being scheduled out years in advance — along with BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF joining the Big 12 no later than 2024 — Gundy doesn’t have high hopes for the continuation of Bedlam, which dates all the way back to 1904, with the two teams eventually being in different conferences.
Ahead of the 116th matchup between Oklahoma State and Oklahoma on Saturday, Gundy explained his thinking Monday. Via the Tulsa World:
“I don’t think it’s a realistic thing that it’s going to happen based on the business side of Power 5 conference football, the Big 12 or the SEC,” Gundy said Monday. “That’s just my opinion on it. I could be wrong. I’m not getting that from anybody.”
He acknowledged he’s not been in those discussions and is guessing, but added:
“I don’t think it will (continue),” Gundy said. “I just don’t think there’s a business side of it. I don’t make that decision. I guess Dr. (Kayse) Shrum and (athletic director) Chad Weiberg, they can do whatever they wanted. Or the board, I don’t know who’s involved in this.”
It is, however, still very possible for Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to reach an agreement to continue playing each other as nonconference opponents. But, as Gundy noted, it could be a challenge with scheduling requirements within the respective conferences.
Per the Tulsa World, the Cowboys coach said he expects the Big 12 to continue its nine-game conference schedule once BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF join the mix. The SEC currently has an eight-game conference schedule, but that could also change with the addition of the Sooners and Longhorns.
So Gundy sees the continuation of Bedlam leading to consistently challenging schedules or simply impossible options for the rivalry series. More via the Tulsa World:
“If you’re going to go back into this game, you would be willing to play 11 (Power 5 teams) out of a 12-game season, which would be extremely difficult,” he said. “And from a business standpoint, we all know this: the more success in games you win in football is a huge revenue avenue for your athletic department and your university. Because the more you win in football, enrollment goes up. That’s a fact. Marketing money goes up. There’s a huge amount of money involved in that.”
“Do you want to risk some of that?”
No. 13 Oklahoma takes on No. 9 Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC), entering the game as two one-loss teams at the top of the Big 12 standings. As of Tuesday, the Cowboys are 3.5-point favorites, per Tipico Sportsbook.
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