Tag: Joseph Harroz Jr.

Oklahoma AD takes a jab at Lincoln Riley in ‘mic drop’ moment

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione went in on former head football coach Lincoln Riley during the Sooners’ SEC celebration.

The Oklahoma Sooners have officially joined the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]; the move became official on Monday. The university held several events across Norman to celebrate the move.

SEC Network was on hand with a showcase of Oklahoma athletics. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag], [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] and [autotag]Skip Johnson[/autotag] were among the most notable OU figures to join SEC Network hosts.

But it wasn’t just present and former coaches who stepped into the bright lights of television. OU athletic director [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] and university president [autotag]Joseph Harroz Jr.[/autotag] joined “SEC Now” on Monday afternoon. The topic of discussion turned to the initial conversations with Oklahoma coaches about the school’s decision in 2021 to leave the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] and join the SEC.

“I will tell you without reservation,” Castiglione said, “every coach we talked to was excited. And, you know what? The ones that weren’t aren’t here anymore. This is Oklahoma. Either get with it or get on with it.”

This, of course, drew quite the reaction from the panel on “SEC Now,” that included ESPN’s Dari Nowkhah and Alyssa Lang, as well as SEC commissioner [autotag]George Sankey[/autotag]. All were well aware of who Castiglione was likely referencing.

“We call that a mic drop,” Harroz Jr. said.

Castiglione’s remarks are most likely about former head football coach [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag], who departed for USC a few months after news broke that OU would be leaving for the SEC. Riley denied the SEC move had anything to do with him leaving. Oklahoma fans, on the other hand, have long believed it’s because he didn’t want to play against the strict competition in the SEC.

Riley had three attempts against the SEC in the playoffs and came up empty. Then reports came out that Riley and the Trojans tried to get out of playing LSU this year and next. And then USC and Ole Miss canceled their two-game series.

But Castiglione dropped the biggest nugget in the whole sage.

This may be the closest thing we ever get to confirmation from Castiglione that Sooner Nation’s suspicions were, in fact, true. After news broke in July of 2021 that the Sooners were moving conferences, Riley led an unfocused 2021 regular season and bolted to Los Angeles hours after it was over.

We all remember the L.A. Times report that stated Riley’s move was months in the making. Riley, on the other hand, insists that Southern Cal convinced him to move his family across the country and be their coach in a matter of hours. Riley hopped on a plane headed west less than a day after losing to Oklahoma State at the end of 2021.

The SEC would have provided harsher competition that the Big 12 did. That’s still absolutely the case. Whether or not that’s why Riley walked may never truly be known. The important thing is Castiglione has his guy to lead the Sooners into the SEC. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] embraced the challenge of the toughest conference in college athletics, and the Sooners are finally official members of the SEC.

All that’s left now is to win football games.

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Oklahoma announces celebration information for official SEC move

The Sooners are a matter of days away from officially being a member of the SEC. The university has plenty of events planned to celebrate joining OU’s new conference.

The Oklahoma Sooners will officially join the [autotag]Southeastern Conference[/autotag] on July 1. OU has been working toward this day since the summer of 2021. The university plans to celebrate the big day with plenty of activities. Details for the event can be found at SoonerSports.com.

According to the school, “The celebration will feature a full slate of fun activities for fans of all ages on OU’s Norman campus, including SEC Network programming, the athletics department’s popular summer equipment sale and open houses at the Barry Switzer Center and Love’s Field, with additional morning events in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. It will culminate with a free and family-friendly “Party In The Palace from 5-10 p.m. inside [autotag]Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium[/autotag], with live music, appearances from SEC Commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag], OU President [autotag]Joseph Harroz Jr.[/autotag] and OU Vice President and Director of Athletics [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] and a drone show above [autotag]Owen Field[/autotag].”

President Harroz Jr. expressed his excitement about the Sooners finally making the move to the SEC:

“Entering the Southeastern Conference marks a transformative new era for the University of Oklahoma and all of Sooner Nation,” said Harroz Jr. “This day of celebration is a tribute to our iconic traditions, relentless pursuit of excellence and the indomitable spirit of Sooner Magic. We can’t wait to bring our passion and pride to the SEC, and this event provides the perfect opportunity for the OU Family to come together and celebrate all that lies ahead.”

Castiglione also addressed the exciting time surrounding the athletic department and the school as a whole:

“This day is years in the making, so it’s appropriate for us to come together and celebrate,” added Castiglione. “We couldn’t be more excited to join the SEC. Our teams are poised for success and look forward to the competition with many of America’s most outstanding universities. At Oklahoma, we have a story to tell, and we’re invigorated by the opportunity with which we’re presented to share with the world what makes OU so special. Our resolute commitment to our student-athletes and their success and to our fans and their experience will only strengthen with this move. We can’t wait to welcome thousands of new people to our community as well as spread Sooner Magic throughout the SEC.”

In addition, the university has planned a “Race to the SEC 5K Glow,” which begins on June 30. There’s a “Midnight Madness Sale,” during which fans can get SEC-licensed merchandise, and a “Shop and Hop Challenge,” in which businesses that participate will sell OU/SEC merchandise for the first time. Each business will contribute a $25 gift card for a customer drawing.

The university has also announced that parking will be free to the public in certain areas. Students are encouraged to participate, with more details about a celebratory event featuring a musical artist scheduled near the start of the fall semester coming in the near future.

Head to SoonerSports.com for the full list of events happening June 30 and July 1 to commemorate Oklahoma moving into the SEC.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.