Oklahoma Sooners Football at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium
Norman, Oklahoma, is home to one of the most successful programs in college football: the University of Oklahoma Sooners. They are coached by Brent Venables, who builds upon previous coach Lincoln Riley's success of leading the Sooners to Big 12 championships and College Football Playoff appearances in each of his first two seasons. Oklahoma plays at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, which first opened in 1923, and has a current capacity of 86,112.
Oklahoma Sooners Football History
The Oklahoma Sooners football team has a tradition of excellence that predates Oklahoma's statehood, with the first game being played in 1895. Under Bud Wilkinson, the Sooners won their first three national championships: in 1950, 1955 and 1956, and underwent a 47-game winning streak that began in 1953 and ended in 1957, and which is unmatched to this day. Barry Switzer coached the Sooners to glory in the 1970s and '80s, winning national titles in 1974, 1975 and 1985, while Bob Stoops led Oklahoma to an Orange Bowl victory and a national title in 2000. Seven players have won the Heisman Trophy while playing for the Sooners, including Billy Vessels in 1952, Steve Owens in 1969, Billy Sims in 1978, Jason White in 2003, Sam Bradford in 2008, Baker Mayfield in 2017 and Kyler Murray in 2018.
Oklahoma has many rivals in the Big 12 Conference, including their two main rivals: Oklahoma State and Texas. "Bedlam" traces its roots to 1904, when Oklahoma first played against what was known until 1957 as Oklahoma A&M. The "Red River Showdown" is played every October at Dallas' Cotton Bowl, as part of the State Fair of Texas. In 2018, Oklahoma and Texas played each other for the first time in the Big 12 Championship Game, with the Sooners defeating the Longhorns 39-27 to give Oklahoma their record 48th conference championship.
Oklahoma Football joins the Southeastern Conference in the summer of 2024.
