Explaining why Oklahoma's home schedule is both exciting and terrifying

Oklahoma’s inaugural football schedule as an SEC program is certainly no walkover. But a spate of top-flight opponents also means some top-flight games coming to Norman, Oklahoma, too.

On3’s Andy Staples and Sooner Scoop’s Eddie Radosevich and George Stoia discussed how the challenges of a strong home slate is as much an opportunity for Oklahoma as it is a potential roadblock. All told, Oklahoma will play seven of 12 regular season games at home in 2024.

The 2024 home slate for Oklahoma is as follows:

• Temple, Aug. 31
• Houston, Sept. 7
• Tulane, Sept. 14
• Tennessee, Sept. 21
• South Carolina, Oct. 19
• Maine, Nov. 2
• Alabama, Nov. 23

“Maybe one of the ‘best’ home schedules in Norman,” Radosevich said. They had the Ohio State game back in 2016, but outside of those marquee matchups that you have every once in a while, I think that the Oklahoma fan base, and certainly the merchants around here, are starved for what is going, and should be an exceptional home schedule in 2024.”

That’s a topic Stoia has written about, and he cited another factor in the new blood and top teams coming to town: Increased ticket sales for the Sooners.

“They sold out their season tickets within, what, a month or two? And they already announced that a few months ago, which I can’t remember the last time that happened,” Stoia said. “Even the last few years, they’ve been going up until kickoff saying, ‘Hey, we still have tickets available’ and they’ve kept that sellout streak alive. I don’t know exactly how they kept alive a few times, but that’s not going to be an issue.”

Staples even pointed to some of the perceived lower-level SEC teams that might not have the brand value of an Alabama or a Tennessee as being value adds for a home slate of games.

“They come Oct. 19, so they get them right after the Texas game, right before a road game at Ole Miss. It’s a terrible sandwich game situation,” Staples said. “South Carolina signed three five-star recruits in the last two years, guys. They recruit well, like there’s talent.”

More games like that, against a strong roster from the traditional SEC football, is a big reason why Oklahoma joined the league. And it’s also where so much of the opportunity lies.

“And I think that that’s why when you play these games that I think Oklahoma will probably be favored in, it’s a lot like the Big 12 in basketball right now, you’ve gotta be able to take advantage of your home schedule,” Radosevich said.