Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione provides update on potential return of Bedlam football

It doesn’t look like Bedlam football will be returning any time soon. The Tulsa World reported Wednesday that Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said he reached out to Oklahoma State a few months ago about bringing back the beloved rivalry game, but was met with “minimal” interest.

The Sooners and Cowboys used to play annually as they were in the same conference for many years as part of the Big Eight and later the Big 12. However, Oklahoma left for the SEC following the 2023 season, which was also the last year the two teams played.

The SEC recently made the decision to move from an eight to a nine-game conference schedule ahead of the 2026 season. Additionally, teams will be required to play at least one Power 4 opponent in the nonconference.

The Cowboys would seem to be logical option for OU given their history and proximity to each other. However, it seems that OSU did not have interest in working anything out when the parties last spoke.

It is worth noting that Mike Gundy was the coach then and Oklahoma State has since fired him. Perhaps the change in leadership could also lead to a change in opinion from the Cowboys.

Bedlam was one of the most beloved rivalry games in college football not just to those within the Sooner State, but around the country as well. Last season was the first year that we didn’t have a Bedlam game in more than 100 years, with the two teams having played every season from 1910-2023.

The Sooners had largely owned the rivalry, with a 90-21-7 all-time advantage in Bedlam. It was the Cowboys who got the last laugh, however, sending OU out of the Big 12 with a 27-24 loss in Stillwater in 2023.

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have played each other in sports such as men’s and women’s basketball, softball and baseball since the Sooners left for the SEC. But the way the schedule is set up in football has made it difficult to do so for football.

It appears at least one side is willing to bring the game back and now we’ll have to wait and see whether Oklahoma State will come around. Certainly it’s a game that has brought countless memories to both sides over the years and college football sure feels a lot better when we get to watch those kinds of classics.