Tag: Joe Castiglione

Oklahoma finishes in the Top 25 in 2023-2024 Director’s Cup standings

Oklahoma Athletics had another strong year, finishing 24th in the Director’s Cup Top 25.

The Oklahoma Sooners had another very strong year, as OU has finished in the Top 25 of the Division 1 LEARFIELD Director’s Cup standings  once again.

The Sooners finished ranked 24th, marking the 21st time in the last 24 years that Oklahoma has made an appearance in the final rankings.

Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in the NCAA Championships. For Division I, 19 sports are counted, four of which must be baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball. The next highest 15 (maximum) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.

The football team led by [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] participated in the [autotag]Valero Alamo Bowl[/autotag] following a bounce-back season in 2023. The Sooners posted 10 wins for the 42nd time in program history, including the signature win of the Venables era to this point. Oklahoma beat Texas 34-30 on October 7.

Obviously, the Sooners got a big jump from [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag]’s softball team winning their fourth national championship in a row an eighth overall.

But while football is always the headliner at Oklahoma and softball has become a force with their dynastic run under Gasso, plenty of other sports had remarkable seasons as well.

After winning its first-ever [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] regular season title, OU baseball hosted an NCAA regional for the first time since 2010. [autotag]Skip Johnson[/autotag] was named Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Women’s basketball won its second straight Big 12 championship under the direction of head coach [autotag]Jennie Baranczyk[/autotag], and first outright since 2009, en route to a third consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Sooners advanced to the second round of the tournament.

K.J. Kindler and the Women’s Gymnastics team made the NCAA tournament championship finals. Mark Williams and the Men’s team finished third in the NCAA finals.

Men’s and women’s tennis saw both squads advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Men’s golf placed ninth at the national championship, earning the program’s seventh top-10 finish in eight years. The squad won the NCAA Rancho Sante Fe Regional to qualify for the program’s 13th straight NCAA Championships – the second longest streak in the country. Women’s golf, returned to the postseason by earning a spot in regional action.

Joe Castiglione continues to be one of the best athletics directors in the business. The Sooners are in good hands as long as Joe C wants to keep doing it.

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Curtis Lofton officially promoted to general manager of Oklahoma football

The former star linebacker is now officially the new general manager for the Sooners.

Nothing says 2024 in college football like the term general manager that is popping up at programs across the country. Previously only really seen at the professional ranks in sports, it’s one more thing that is different in the new world of college athletics.

The Oklahoma Sooners football program officially has one of its own in Norman. [autotag]Curtis Lofton[/autotag], who played linebacker for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] in the mid-2000s, was officially promoted to general manager of the Oklahoma football program. Expected for some time, it is an agenda item on the Board of Regents meeting scheduled for Friday.

Lofton is the director of the Sooners’ S.O.U.L. Mission, and is set to earn quite the pay increase, going from $101,500 to $300,000 per year.

George Stoia of SoonerScoop and On3 took to social media to deliver the news.

Lofton was named general manager in February and has been performing GM duties for months. He becomes the first general manager in OU’s history, and the job will evolve as the landscape of college sports takes shape in the future.

But it’s clear that Venables decided he needed a full-time GM to help with roster management and other aspects of the program. It’s a move that, just like everything other Venables move, is being made to help the Sooners compete in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] and compete for national championships.

Venables was extremely complimentary of his former player in the lead up to spring practice.

“Curtis has been doing what he has been doing in the last couple of years. He’s been fantastic, S.O.U.L. Mission as a whole is fantastic, and remember, S.O.U.L. Mission isn’t just one job. It’s, again, holistic development. And they’re leaders, they’re mentors, they’re recruiters, they’re therapists, they’re competitors. And Curtis brings a lot to the table. The same things he did as a player, now he’s using those transferable skills as a leader in our program. So, he’s been fantastic.”

Lofton was a great player for the Sooners for three seasons from 2005-2007, earning consensus All-American honors in his final year. During his 2007 junior season, the linebacker totaled 157 tackles, with 10 1/2 tackles for loss. He had three interceptions and a fumble recovery, giving him a pair of defensive touchdowns. Lofton was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year that season.

Colton Sulley of The Oklahoman also reported the news on social media, adding the pay bump for Football Operations Administrator [autotag]Woody Glass[/autotag]. His salary will increase from $310,000 annually to $350,000 annually.

Glass’ position is essentially a chief of staff role. He joined the staff in 2022 as special assistant to the head coach before being promoted to his current position last year. Glass replaced [autotag]Thad Turnipseed[/autotag], who resigned from his position in June of 2023.

Clear leadership will be important in the brave new world of the SEC and the shifting sands of college football. Current players and future recruits will want to know who’s running the show. The Oklahoma Sooners have their leaders in place going into all of the changes. Venables, Lofton, Glass, athletic director [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] and university president [autotag]Joseph Harroz[/autotag] are the faces of a new era of Sooner football.

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Bedlam basketball could be returning in 2024, according to Jon Rothstein

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State might not be done facing each other on the basketball court.

With the Oklahoma Sooners moving to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] and the Oklahoma State Cowboys staying in the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag], the [autotag]Bedlam[/autotag] rivalry between the two rival schools had looked to be lost.

One of the best in-state rivalries in college sports may not survive conference realignment in every sport, but men’s basketball sounds like it’s on track to keep going.

CBS Sports’ college basketball insider Jon Rothstein took to social media Monday morning to let fans know that, while no contracts have been signed yet, Bedlam hoops may be returning in mid-December.

Rothstein had OSU head coach [autotag]Steve Lutz[/autotag] on his podcast “College Hoops Today’ and Lutz told him that the game is on track to be played at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The arena is currently home to the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

Though it wouldn’t have the same feel as a game at Lloyd Noble or Gallagher-Iba, getting the rivalry back in a sport as popular as men’s basketball is a great start. This could be the domino needed to get Bedlam to return in other sports as well.

The atmosphere in the Paycom Center should be a pretty raucous one, given the debate about which school has run away from playing the game in other sports. By the middle of December, we should have a pretty good feel for how the Sooners and Cowboys are looking on the court as well.

While we’re at it, a Bedlam baseball series at Bricktown Ballpark or a Bedlam softball series at Devon Park would be a must-watch. Women’s basketball could follow suit after men’s hoops and play at Paycom or at the BOK Center.

And of course, a regular season Bedlam football game may be the furthest from returning.

But I for one have no problem if [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Weiberg[/autotag] want to hash out a home-and-home for a future nonconference matchup. Those would automatically become two of the most-anticipated games on the schedules for both the teams and the fanbases.

And who knows, maybe with the expanded 12-team [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag], Bedlam football could be coming back sooner rather than later.

Texas AD tells Paul Finebaum ‘There’s nothing like’ the Red River Rivalry game

Oklahoma’s rivalry matchup with Texas every October won’t take a backseat to any other game in the SEC.

[autotag]SEC[/autotag] spring meetings took place this week in Destin, Florida, with the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns taking their place at the table.

Oklahoma enters its first year in the SEC after leaving the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag]. Along with Texas, they will be the newcomers to a conference that’s been very successful, especially in football.

But the [autotag]Red River Shootout[/autotag], the annual rivalry matchup between the Sooners and the Longhorns, won’t be taking a backseat to any other game the SEC has to offer.

Oklahoma athletic director [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] and Texas athletic director [autotag]Chris Del Conte[/autotag] joined “The Paul Finebaum Show” this week to discuss joining the SEC and the topic turned to Red River.

Del Conte spoke up with high praise of the game, saying, “It’s ridiculous, it’s the greatest thing ever.” He went on to say, “There’s nothing like this game.”

Del Conte added, “…you may talk about the Cocktail Party, the Iron Bowl, there’s nothing like this game at the State Fair.”

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is the rivalry between Georgia and Florida, played at a neutral site in Jacksonville. [autotag]The Iron Bowl[/autotag] is the matchup between Alabama and Auburn played at campus sites each year. Both are two of the most storied rivalries in the SEC and in all of college football, but the Red River Shootout is on a different level, at least according to the man running the athletic program south of the Red River.

Del Conte’s words are the latest example of the idea of many in the states of Oklahoma and Texas that think the Sooners and the Longhorns won’t be tiptoeing around in the SEC in year one. Both teams plan to make a statement with their play and with their programs. And in this instance, Del Conte is right on the money.

One of the truly special things about college football is the rivalries that are baked into the game. Hundreds of years of animosity between players, coaches and fanbases stir the pot in a sport that is all about passion and pageantry. OU-Texas is not only one of college football’s best rivalries, it’s one of the best in all of sports.

Sure, both teams have other rivals. The Sooners have intense matchups with Oklahoma State and Nebraska that have carried over from the Big Eight days. The Longhorns have plenty of foes from the old Southwest Conference, like Texas A&M and Arkansas. But these two blue bloods and their fans consider each other their undisputed rival.

Then, there’s the setting. The Cotton Bowl in Dallas is probably the most unique in sports. Located right in the middle of the State Fair of Texas, it has a built in atmosphere that’s unique.

Neutral-site games aren’t usually what we think of when we think college football, but Red River is a wonderful exception. The history of the two programs and the 50/50 split of the fans in the stadium creates an environment unlike any other. Anytime someone brings up home-home matchups in the Red River Rivalry, both fan bases shut that talk down really quickly.

There are great rivalry matchups in the SEC and in college football, but Red River has its own sacred place in the lore of the sport. Del Conte certainly isn’t alone is his thinking, at least not according to Josh Pate of 247Sports. Pate said, “Seeing folks who’ve never been to the Red River Shootout commenting on it. I’ve been sideline for all the big ones multiple times… it takes a backseat to NO rivalry game in CFB.”

The Red River Shootout is sixty minutes of pure, unadulterated hate between two of the ten best programs in the history of college football. It takes place in a venue unlike anything else sports has to offer, and both athletic directors are committed to keeping it that way.

It’s the essence of college football.

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Oklahoma Sooners are a wild card in 2024 according to On3’s Andy Staples

Andy Staples of On3 thinks the Sooners will be a “wild card” in Year 3 under Brent Venables. Could they make the expanded playoff?

The Oklahoma Sooners are at an interesting inflection point two and a half months from the beginning of the 2024 college football season.

The Sooners are entering year three of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era in Norman. After he was hired to be OU’s next head coach in December of 2021, a disappointing 6-7 campaign in 2022 followed.

Oklahoma rebounded in 2023 with a 10-3 mark in year two, and there’s no question that this is a Brent Venables program now. He’s got his guys in place on the field and on the coaching staff.

But the Sooners head to the [autotag]Southeastern Conference[/autotag] in 2024, after a long run atop the [autotag]Big 12 Conference[/autotag] that featured fourteen conference titles. That’s ten more than anyone else.

The SEC will be a much tougher road than the Big 12 was, and On3’s Andy Staples has some concerns for the Sooners in 2024, calling them a mystery.

According to Staples, the floor for this Oklahoma team could be 6-6. However, he also thinks the ceiling could be a trip to the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag].

“If they’re 6-6, if they’re 7-5,” Staples said, “What do you do about Brent Venables? How do you feel about Brent Venables if you’re [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag], their athletic director?”

Staples and others present the offensive line as a concern for the team in 2024. Oklahoma is replacing the entire unit this season. [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the [autotag]NFL Draft[/autotag] and [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] transferred to Missouri. The Sooners also lost [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] up front.

Staples notes that the Sooners added pieces via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] to fill those holes. [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] came over from Michigan State in the winter portal window. [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] is a plug and play piece at center, transferring in during the spring window from SMU. [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag], [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag] and [autotag]Geriean Hatchett[/autotag] also arrived via the portal and will have an impact along the offensive line this fall.

These players will form the core of the unit along with young pieces like [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag],[autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag], but it is a patchwork O-line that will have to protect quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] if the Sooners want to be successful in 2024.

Staples thinks the Sooners are the deepest they’ve been in a while on defense,  and he knows why the OU staff and fans are excited for Arnold. He praised the wide receiver group as well.

Many in the national media don’t seem to have the faith in Venables quite yet that most Sooner fans do. They site the SEC presenting a challenge that Oklahoma hasn’t seen before.

But Venables is one of the great defensive minds in college football. He’s leading the way for the program, in addition to all of the skill and depth on that side of the ball. Then, of course, there’s that talented but young quarterback stepping into the starting role.

The Sooners may very well be a wildcard in year one in their new conference. But if the offensive line can hold up long enough for Arnold to have time to throw, it could be a very fun year in Norman.

If not, it could be detrimental to Arnold’s development, and 2024 could be a long season in the SEC.

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Oklahoma Sooners moving 2024 season opener to Friday night

“It’s a unique and exciting opportunity for us,” says Joe Castiglione about Oklahoma and ESPN moving the Sooners season opener.

The much anticipated move to the SEC will come one day earlier as the University of Oklahoma announced a date change for their week one matchup with the Temple Owls.

Originally slated to play on Saturday August 31, Joe Castiglione announced Oklahoma and ESPN have agreed to play the season opener on Friday night, August 30 at 6 p.m. CT. The game will take place on ESPN.

“We were asked to consider moving up the season opener by a day so ESPN could televise our first game as a member of the SEC in a primetime window,” Castiglione said in a statement released by the Oklahoma Athletic Department. “It’s a unique and exciting opportunity for us, as it will be our first Friday night game in the history of Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and will give our team tremendous visibility nationally. Another major plus is, given the kick time, our players and fans should benefit from a cooler temperature. It’s reasonable to expect that playing in the evening will significantly mitigate some of the heat issues we typically deal with during early season day games. Our first-ever ‘Friday Night Lights’ will undoubtedly be one for the books, and we’re excited to open the season and our first year in the SEC in such a spectacular fashion.”

Oklahoma and its fan base has longed to play more primetime games. Under the Fox grant of rights with the Big 12, the Sooners were relegated to a number of 11 a.m. kickoffs, which was Fox Big Noon Kickoff’s No. 1 playing window.

The move to the SEC created hope that Oklahoma would get more opportunities under the lights at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. And the SEC and ESPN are already delivering on that hope.

While Friday’s have regularly been reserved for high school football, the Sooners week one matchup against Temple in primetime on ESPN will provide Oklahoma a national audience to put on display Jackson Arnold, Danny Stutsman, and the Sooners stars that will lead them into 2024 and their SEC future.

More from the University of Oklahoma

Heat indices in Norman for OU’s last three season-opening games reached 93 degrees in 2023, 96 degrees in 2022 and 105 degrees in 2021. Three of the last four years have produced a heat index high of at least 98 degrees on Aug. 31 in Norman.

Added Castiglione, “We recognize this schedule change will impact travel plans for some fans. We ask hotels in our area to work closely with those individuals to accommodate the move from a Saturday game to a Friday night contest.”

The Sooners, who will officially join the SEC on July 1, boast a 60-19-2 (.753) record in Friday games (includes a 2-4 record in bowl games) but have only played five Friday evening regular season contests, all on the road and all victories.

Since World War II, Oklahoma has played 16 regular season Friday games and is 10-6 in those outings. Ten of those 16 games, and the Sooners’ only six losses, were against Nebraska. OU beat NU on Fridays in 1973, 1976, 1977 and 1990, and lost to the Huskers in 1982 and every year from 1991-95. The Sooners’ other Friday wins since 1945 were at Detroit in 1947 (Bud Wilkinson’s first game as OU head coach), at Miami (Fla.) in 1975, at Tulsa in 2002 and 2007, at West Virginia in 2018 and vs. TCU in last year’s regular season finale.

Oklahoma, which is starting its third season under head coach Brent Venables, has won 18 straight home openers.

More: Oklahoma Sooners 2024 Schedule

More: Predicting every game on Oklahoma’s 2024 schedule

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Brent Venables cracks the top 15 highest paid college football coaches in 2024

Brent Venables has cracked the top 15 highest paid coaches in college football in 2024.

This offseason was a crazy one for college football. We saw arguably the greatest coach of all time, [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag], step down from his position for the Alabama Crimson Tide and call it a career.

Which started a game of musical chairs with coaches across the country. Now that things have started to settle down, 247Sports’ Brad Crawford took a look at the top 15 highest-paid coaches in the sport, and Oklahoma Sooners’ head man [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has cracked the top 15, coming in at No. 15 making $7.25 million.

Venables contract details: Prior to his hiring ahead of Oklahoma’s 2022 season, Venables was one of college football’s highest-paid assistants as a defensive coordinator at Clemson, where he engineered the ACC’s top scoring defense nearly every year of his tenure. Venables made $2.5 million with the Tigers before seeing a sizable increase with the Sooners. Venables made $7.1 million in his first campaign before that number increased and he responded with 10 wins during the 2023 season at Oklahoma. – Crawford, 247Sports

The last line is the big one. Venables earned his money by helping lead Oklahoma to a 10-win season after going 6-7 the year prior. Now these next two years are going to be huge. Venables was brought in because [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] felt he was the best guy to lead Oklahoma into the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Now, it’s up to Venables to prove Castiglione right in that assessment and get Oklahoma back to competing for conference and national championships the next few seasons.

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Oklahoma Sooners’ top 10 moments from 2023

From multiple national championships, to Red River heroics, what were the best moments from the Oklahoma Sooners in 2023?

The Oklahoma Sooners had magical moments in 2023. There were national championship runs and new records set. There were incredible individual performances and great team accomplishments.

Big things happened off the field as well for the Sooners that helped set the stage for their move to the SEC.

So what were the top moments of 2023? Here’s Sooners Wire’s top 10.

Oklahoma Softball announces stadium capacity for Love’s Field

University of Oklahoma announced seating capacity for Love’s Field that’s set to open in 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team has created a dynasty and now are on the verge of beginning play in a state-of-the-art softball facility during the 2024 season.

On Friday, the University of Oklahoma announced the final seating capacities for Love’s Field.

“Since the start, we’ve approached the design of Love’s Field with our fans in mind,” said athletic director [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] in the OU Athletic Department’s release. “Because we know the demand for OU Softball is sky high, we took great care to increase the capacity wherever we could while maintaining the overall fan experience. We’re thrilled with the results, as we’ve shattered our original expected capacity of about 3,000, now with 3,543 in fixed seating and an additional 657 in standing room. At every home game, we’ll now have the opportunity for more than 4,000 Sooner fans to cheer our team to victory in the biggest and best collegiate softball stadium in the country.”

Marita Hynes Field currently runs with a seated capacity of 1,378. Including standing room capabilities, Love’s Field will triple the attendance capabilities for Oklahoma Softball in the future.

Led by head coach [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag], the Oklahoma Sooners have won three straight national championships and six of the last 10 titles. She’s led Oklahoma to seven overall. That success has helped create an incredible buzz surrounding the sport of softball across the country.

“When we were standing above the outfield looking toward home plate, we were in awe,” said Gasso during a tour of the construction site. “It was hard to comprehend the beauty and scope of what we were looking at, considering where we played when I started coaching here. I stood there and reflected on all my years at OU and all the athletes who laid the foundation for this program. I’m reminded of where we started this journey whenever I drive by Reaves Park. Then we stepped across the street to Marita Hynes Field. And now we’re on the cusp of having Love’s Field — the premier college softball facility in the country — as our home. I’m so grateful for everyone who helped us get to this point, and am incredibly excited for what’s still to come.”

The Oklahoma Sooners are expecting to begin play at Love’s Field during the 2024 season.

More From OU Athletics

Plans call for the overall square footage of the complex to reach 44,000, compared to 15,168 at Marita Hynes Field, OU’s present facility. The team areas will expand from 2,598 square feet to 5,593 square feet and the indoor practice facility will jump from 4,744 square feet to 10,669 square feet.

The Love’s Field seat-selection process for the 2024 softball season will resume in November with those in Groups 2 and 3 whose assigned selection time was not initially available during the first phase of the selection process this summer.

Seats will be selected via an online Love’s Field seat map. Groups 2 and 3 members whose assigned selection time was not available during the first phase of the selection process will be assigned a selection time in which they can view inventory and make seat selections as availability allows. Available seat locations are in the outfield reserved sections and require paying only the annual season ticket cost. To maximize capacity of Love’s Field, some sections in the outfield have been altered since the original selection process. Those who previously selected seats in these locations that may be impacted by this adjustment will be contacted prior to the selection process resuming in November.

Supporters in both groups will be ranked via Sooner Points associated with their OU Athletics account. Sooner Points accumulate for OU Athletics lifetime season ticket purchases, seat-related giving history and attendance. Assigned selection times and instructions will be provided via email to account holders prior to the start of the November selection process. Groups 2 and 3 are not guaranteed the opportunity to purchase season tickets, as seat locations throughout Love’s Field are subject to availability and the selections made by those with earlier assigned times.

Fans in Groups 2 and 3 who have do not receive seat-selection information via email today can contact the Sooner Club at 405-325-8000.

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Oklahoma ranked as a top 16 job by 247Sports

Oklahoma is ranked outside the top 10 in 247Sports best head coaching jobs rankings.

The [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] are one of the true “[autotag]Blue Bloods[/autotag]” in all of college football. The history of the program is only matched by a few.

It’s also one of the best jobs in the sport. One reason is because of its success. The proximity to Dallas-Fort Worth and Texas puts the Sooners in a prime recruiting area. With the Sooners about to move into the SEC, their profile and their recruiting stock is getting a bump as well.

One could argue that with Joe Castiglione at the helm, Oklahoma is one of the five best programs in the country.

The Sooners’ brand is one that carries a ton of weight as well. Despite everything that’s working in the Sooners’ favor, 247Sports‘ Brad Crawford ranked Oklahoma as the 11th-best job in the nation.

Oklahoma is one of the winningest programs of all-time and the Sooners have been elite in every decade — sans the 1990s — dating back to Barry Switzer’s incredible run of success. Bob Stoops’ tenure was remarkable leading the Big 12’s top program and the Sooners annually get their pick of the litter from the Midwest talent pool. They never have revenue issues from a strong contingent of supporters that sell out every home game. Oklahoma is one of the few programs that can legitimately sell ring-chasing aspirations to recruits. It’ll be interesting to see if Oklahoma remains a top job over the next decade or so in the SEC beginning in 2024. – Crawford, 247Sports

In no way should Oklahoma be outside of the top 10. The three teams ranked ahead of them on the list just aren’t better jobs.

One could argue that the Texas job isn’t even a top-five job with the enormous pressure from outside of the program placed on the head coach by fans and donors. Sure, the resources are there, but if you don’t win, there’s not a lot of patience in Austin.

As for the Sooners, they have a strong belief in Brent Venables as the head coach. He was at the top of President Joseph Harroz and Castiglione’s list when they began their coaching search back in 2021.

Hopefully, they won’t be looking for a new coach anytime soon, so how this job is considered in the nation’s eyes won’t matter. But if last time told us anything, there will be a line out the door of coaches wanting that job.

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