Mike Gundy still thinks Oklahoma State has no part in Bedlam football ending
Mike Gundy still thinks Oklahoma State has no part in Bedlam football ending: Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy says that any discussion about the future of the Bedlam rivalry was immature and childish. Both the Athletic Directors from Oklahoma State and Oklahoma said Monday that they would be ending the annual game when Oklahoma joined the SEC.
“Oklahoma State has not given me plans to move the game,” said Oklahoma State Athletic Director Chad Weiberg. “We coached them last year and they’re unavailable so we can’t play them this season.”
Castiglione was the head coach at Oklahoma, where he coached for seven years before being fired in January. He says Oklahoma State never even indicated an interest in scheduling a future game, so he’s moving on to bigger and better things.
Bedlam is history, we know that now because OU has chosen to follow Texas and the money in the SEC. It’s completely fine now. Now, we’re having childish discussions over something that is already done. And I would like to make this the last statement that I have because I have no hard feelings left over.
But what’s currently happening is a relationship when you know that something is wrong and you want to turn the table and make them think they’re wrong, when Oklahoma State has no part in this.”
On Tuesday, Castiglione told ESPN that Oklahoma can schedule more nonconference games than Oklahoma State. However, he hasn’t given up on a future Bedlam series yet. I think they will come back in the future in the 2030s, he said.
Mr. Castiglione was quoted as saying that the Oklahoma State football program is talking to officials of the Sooners to see if they can compete in other sports they have in common and he said, “Football is a little different” because scheduling is done further in advance and there are fewer non-conference opportunities and dates available to work with than there are in other sports. It would be a good idea for them to keep competing with the two schools for years to come.
Weiberg said that the Cowboys’ schedule is almost complete through 2038, with Power 5 nonconference opponents already scheduled in Arkansas, Oregon, Alabama, Nebraska, and Colorado. Weiberg advised that Oklahoma should be able to play an extra SEC game every 10 years. He reasoned that they made the decision because it made sense to them. Although he acknowledged there could be consequences of this potential change, he had no objections.
The Big 12 is protective of its Power 5 conference schedule, and thus two additional opponents for a nonconference game are difficult to acquire. Weiberg said that scheduling so far in advance provides more options, but it doesn’t mean Bedlam will not return eventually. Scheduling decisions are based on logistical constraints rather than emotions.
As we reach the end of our current contracts, then can we talk about resuming?” he said. “That’s kind of what you see,” he said. “[In] conference realignment, it’s not unusual for rivals to pause when teams switch conferences.” Texas and Texas A&M have paused their rivalry; Oklahoma and Nebraska have played recently; and Texas and Oklahoma have paused their rivalry as well. This is a normal result of conference realignment.
The Cowboys said they were not involving in the multi billion-dollar conversations between the SEC and Oklahoma, a decision that could have been avoided if they had been involved.
It’s time for them to stop trying to portray themselves as the just, innocent victim that’s been wronged by their school jumping ship, said Coach Herman. It’s a little comical now that they beg for involvement in an event over which they had no control. Let-s not turn the tables. Lets just say: Hey, look, we chose to join Texas and take the money and we’re going to the SEC. Its all good. Let’s quit talking about it. Lets talk about football.
Gundy is supporting the end of the rivalry, which was first played between two teams in 1904 with 116 meetings since then. In July, at Big 12 media days, he said the series was winding down. The future of Bedlam is up to a year or two left with no decision yet made, he said in July. I mean, that’s the future based on the decision of someone else!
Bud Oakley, who has been working as the Cowboys Director of Public Relations since 1986, predicted that most conferences would move to nine conference games. This would make it that much harder to schedule nonconference games, particularly when the Cowboys’ schedule already had games scheduled into 2032 or 2033.
Coach Gundy talks about contract buyouts, which sometimes takes head coaches agreeing to play another conference game, which most fans want. However, this is an unrealistic idea because coach Gundy doesn’t think it could happen.
Gundy also said at that time if he were thought to be Big 12 commissioner, he would not allow Texas and Oklahoma into the league’s business meetings. It’s all joke, Gundy said. But it’s only a joke because he doesn’t want someone from their company in his company.