Joe Castiglione shoots down idea of Lincoln Riley not agreeing with Oklahoma SEC move

Lincoln Riley’s departure from the Oklahoma Sooners to become the next head coach of the USC Trojans has been one of many moves to rock the college football world in recent days. With Oklahoma heading to the SEC in the near future, rumors have swirled about Riley not agreeing with the move as part of his decision to leave Norman. But Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione shot down those rumors on Monday, saying that Riley was engaged and supportive in those discussions.

“Coach Riley was brought into the conversation, the thought process that we were having about the future of college athletics, the rapidly changing landscape, and what we could see happening down the road,” Castiglione said. “We talked about that with him. He was engaged in our thoughts about it and he was definitely on board (with Oklahoma’s move to the SEC).

“In the many conversations since the announcement was made, he continued to be very much on board with it. We were talking about the resources and the process and things we are going to want to have in place as we move towards the transition whenever that occurs.”

Castiglione, Oklahoma are in a ‘comprehensive review’ ahead of the move to the SEC

Riley finishes his career with the Sooners with a 55-10 overall record, including a 37-7 mark in the Big 12. The Sooners were 10-2 this season, with a bowl game still to be played. When asked about whether or not Riley pushed for better facilities and resources ahead of Oklahoma’s SEC move, Castiglione said that the entire athletic department is putting together a plan.

“Let me be absolutely crystal clear. WE knew it,” Castiglione said when asked whether or not Riley pushed for better facilities and resources prior to the SEC move. “So it’s a collective effort on everything about that. We were and are in a comprehensive review of our program, where we are, how we compare, what’s going on in the entire SEC. And we’re doing our own due diligence to make a really comprehensive transition plan. So we were proactive as we usually are.”

Riley also recently shot down rumors of him not being on board with Oklahoma’s SEC move, and his comments backed up those from Castiglione.

“I was completely in favor,” Riley said. “I was kept in the loop the whole way by our president and AD. Supported it the whole way. I thought it was the right move at the time and still think it was the right move. … It had zero impact on what went into that.”