Could Bedlam come to Spring Football?

When the Oklahoma Sooners departed the Big 12 Conference for the SEC, they left their longtime rivals, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, behind. The Bedlam matchup between the two football programs was no more, a casualty of conference realignment.

Though Bedlam is still being played in other sports, the two schools have been unable to see eye to eye on when it can get back on the football schedule. However, with the changing landscape in college football, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, of all people, has an idea that just might bring Bedlam back, though not in the way many had hoped.

With college football’s new world of name, image, and likeness, revenue sharing, the transfer portal, and the expanded College Football Playoff, many teams began canceling their spring games. Oklahoma was one of those teams, choosing to roll out the “Crimson Combine” on April 12th instead. It’s an event that won’t be televised and will allow fans to see players doing drills similar to those at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Many programs, including Nebraska, USC, Ohio State, and Texas, have also canceled spring games. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule is one of the strongest voices against spring games in this new era. He and other coaches believe it’s only an opportunity for their players to get poached by other schools or injured.

On the other hand, coaches like South Carolina’s Shane Beamer have been outspoken in favor of continuing the tradition, or even implementing some form of a preseason. Colorado’s Deion Sanders has said he’d like to scrimmage another team, with Syracuse and Fran Brown quickly volunteering.

Of course anything of that sort would require a rule change by the NCAA, and as of now, teams have the choice of an spring game the old-fashioned way, or no spring game at all. Sanders and Brown are currently seeking permission from…

Source link : https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/sooners/football/2025/03/25/oklahoma-football-cowboys-mike-gundy-spring-game/82660458007/

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Publish date : 2025-03-26 01:56:00

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