The Bedlam rivalry between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys holds a special place in the college football world. For OSU fans, the Sooners are their most hated rivals in the country, the one team that they want to beat more than any other.
On the OU side, the Cowboys may not be the most hated rival (that’s Texas of course), and they may not even be the rival with the most recognized championships to their name (that’s Nebraska with five titles, two fewer than OU, and one more than Texas), but they are the other flagship program within the great state of Oklahoma, and a rival with so much shared history and iconic memories.
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OU and OSU have played each other in football 118 times, with the Sooners holding a 91-20-7 all-time series lead over the Cowboys. The two schools played in the Big Eight and Big 12 together, but the annual meeting came to a screeching halt after the 2023 season, when Oklahoma moved to the SEC, leaving Oklahoma State behind in the Big 12. That arrangement began in 2024.
After two seasons with no Bedlam, the buzz about bringing the matchup back annually has started up again this past week. The mayors of both Norman and Stillwater have co-authored legislation to try and bring back Bedlam football on an annual basis. Of course, it would need to pass through the state legislature before it would become a law, but clearly the two cities miss the in-state rivalry game.
The mayors are primarily concerned with the economic benefits that both Norman and Stillwater would receive from bringing back Bedlam, but with all of the talk about the game’s possible return, what about on the football side of things? Is bringing the game back every year a good thing for the Sooners or the Cowboys?
Full transparency here, I want Bedlam back on the docket every single year. I’m just not sure how it gets done in a way that benefits both teams on the field.
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So, today we’ll take a look from the overall perspective, and the perspective of both schools individually, from the football side of things, to see if the return of Bedlam each and every year would be a good thing for Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
The last time Bedlam was played in 2023, the college football world looked different. Of course Oklahoma and Texas were in the Big 12, along with Oklahoma State, but Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington resided in the Pac-12, as did Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah, Cal, and Stanford. SMU played in the American, and Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, and BYU were recent call-ups to the Big 12.
More importantly, the College Football Playoff included just four teams, instead of 12 teams like it has today. With Oklahoma and Oklahoma State playing in the same conference, fighting for a spot in the same conference title game, it was a foregone conclusion that, as rivals, the Sooners and Cowboys would play every single year.
However, conference realignment has taken OU and OSU away from each other, and the expanded playoff has changed the way that we view non-conference games in college football, as well as the way we view what it means to truly be a contender.
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First, let’s take a look at the pros for bringing back Bedlam. Both teams have reason to want it back, and there are reasons it would be beneficial for both programs.
Pros
NORMAN, OK – NOVEMBER 19: Linebacker DaShaun White #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners sacks quarterback Spencer Sanders #3 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the fourth quarter during the Bedlam game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 19, 2022 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma won 28-13. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
For both the cities of Norman and Stillwater, the economic impact of a home game every other year against an in-state rival would be far better than say, UTEP or New Mexico going to Norman or teams like Tulsa or Murray State going to Stillwater.
For both programs, a win in Bedlam means another playoff resume builder over another Power Four team. Additionally, it comes in a rivalry game, which the CFP selection committee has placed extra emphasis on in the past. A win also means a boost in your in-state recruiting, and whoever is hosting that particular year gets a big-time recruiting weekend out of it. None of those things happen when you’re playing a Group of Five school or an FCS school.
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It’s important to note that if Bedlam comes back, fans of both teams win, and college football wins. OU and OSU are two of the great rivals in our sport, and returning to an annual matchup just feels right. It’s a tradition, and it’s a part of the fabric of college football rivalries. The incredible moments and often unbelievable history of Bedlam should be continued, not put on the shelf. The rivalry is a deep-seated part of the history of the entire state of Oklahoma, and men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, and softball have all played Bedlam games since Oklahoma’s move to the SEC, but football hasn’t been able to figure it out yet.
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to getting Bedlam back on the menu is no longer in the path. Former OSU head coach Mike Gundy didn’t seem too interested in playing OU in the regular season anymore, instead proposing the two schools play in spring games, lowering the stakes. Gundy has since been let go by the Cowboys and was replaced with new head coach Eric Morris. In his introductory press conference at Oklahoma State, Morris said that he embraced playing Oklahoma in football.
“I’d love to get on the phone with anybody that we know that could help us bring that game back,” Morris said. “If they’re asking if Coach Morris welcomes that game, I’d welcome it with open arms.”
Other reports have indicated that Oklahoma State has been holding up the proceedings to get Bedlam back, but maybe with a new head coach on board, there will be more traction this time around. University of Oklahoma president Joseph Harroz Jr. recently proposed playing Oklahoma State and Nebraska every other year, in addition to the annual game against Texas, so it looks like the Sooners are willing to play ball.
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In the SEC, it’s not uncommon for teams to play non-conference rivalry games annual. Matchups like Florida-Florida State, Georgia-Georgia Tech, Kentucky-Louisville, and South-Carolina-Clemson all include in-state rivals playing each other every single year. On the Big 12 side, you have Iowa State playing Iowa every single year. That means there’s precedent for Oklahoma-Oklahoma State to join those ranks. Recently, non-conference rivalries like Pittsburgh-West Virginia and Kansas-Missouri that were once lost to conference realignment have made their way back to the playing field as well, though it remains to be seen if they’ll turn into an annual affair.
For Oklahoma, it’s a chance to get a team on the schedule every single season that the Sooners have been historically and recently dominant against. Even if you take just the most recent 25 matchups from 1999 to 2023, OU holds a 19-6 record against the Pokes.
However, for Oklahoma State, it’s a chance to get a team on the schedule every single year that motivates your coaches, players, and fanbase like no other team can. Additionally, taking down the Sooners will always make a statement to the playoff selection committee.
Clearly, there are plenty of reasons why Bedlam football being back is good for both schools, good for both cities, and good for fans of college football. Unfortunately, there are also reasons that might mean Bedlam’s return might not ever happen, or might not happen for a long time.
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Let’s take a look at the cons for Bedlam returning.
Cons
Nov 28, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy (right) shakes hands with Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops following the game at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Sooners defeated the Cowboys 58-23. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Firstly, just because fans and a couple of mayors want to legally make Bedlam happen every year, that doesn’t just magically make it so. The legislation would have to become a law, which is obviously not a quick and easy process.
One of the biggest reasons it’ll be difficult to getting the game scheduled, is because Oklahoma’s non-conference schedule is full until they have one spot open in 2029, and Oklahoma State’s non-con slate is full until 2030. Both teams now have only three non-conference spots available to them each season, and those games get scheduled years in advance. Even if Bedlam is played again, it’ll be hard to make it an annual affair.
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Additionally, both teams have made a habit of scheduling big-time programs in non-conference play, and both would want to keep doing so. For example, the Sooners have had recent home-and-home contests against the likes of Florida State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Ohio State, UCLA, and Nebraska, and they’re in the middle of one against Michigan. The Sooners have also scheduled upcoming home-and-homes with Nebraska and Clemson. Oklahoma State plays Oregon once, Arkansas once, and Alabama twice over the next four years. They have home-and-homes scheduled down the road against Arkansas and Nebraska.
The issue for both teams is that they may have to choose between a schedule of nine conference games, a marquee non-conference bout, and two tune-up games, or a slate of nine conference games, two tune-up games, and Bedlam replacing that marquee matchup with Michigan or Oregon. Otherwise, the schools would get one tune-up game, two Power Four opponents in non-conference play, and nine league games.
The reason this becomes an issue is because it could negatively impact the CFP chances for both schools. Getting a game that is virtually a guaranteed win like UTEP or Murray State is a lot easier path than playing a rivalry game in addition to another marquee Power Four game. Or, that marquee Power Four game gets taken away to make room for Bedlam each year. That hurts playoff chances as well, because it likely won’t always be a terrific resume-builder.
For Oklahoma, why would the Sooners want to add a game on the calendar against a team that is uniquely motivated to beat them, and typically gives them their best shot? As OU fans saw in 2025, the margin between making the CFP with 10 wins and missing it with nine wins is ultra-thin, and having a marquee non-conference win helped the cause. Altering that setup could mean another loss or a less impressive resume that could keep the Sooners from achieving their yearly goal of winning the national championship. In the SEC, the schedules are so difficult every year, and Sooner Nation has already seen that firsthand. Adding a team to the slate that wants to beat you far more than the other 11 teams on their schedule doesn’t exactly help OU’s playoff chances.
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Oklahoma has never shied away from playing against top-flight competition (they joined the SEC, after all). The question isn’t really would the Sooners want to add Bedlam to the schedule? Rather the question becomes, should they add it? Would it be beneficial for OU, in terms of competing for a playoff berth?
For Oklahoma State, why would the Cowboys what to schedule a team that typically has dominated the matchups between the two schools? After all, the Cowboys only beat the Sooners three times (1965, 1966, and 1976) from 1946 to 1994 (including a tie in 1992). Under Morris, the Pokes hope they can propel themselves back into the playoff discussion regularly in the Big 12. OSU hasn’t been competitive yet in the 12-team playoff era, but with the Big 12 champion guaranteed to get a spot, and other spots available for Big 12 at-large teams if they are good enough, why wouldn’t the Cowboys try to get themselves as many non-conference wins as possible? Adding a team that usually has more overall talent and resources to the schedule each year is counterproductive to trying to make the CFP as an at-large team for the Cowboys. Also, as previously noted, if OSU doesn’t have much interest in getting Bedlam back, it’s less likely that it’ll happen.
As you can see, there are also many reasons why both schools might not be able to bring Bedlam back, or might not want to in the new era of college football.
When the Sooners and Cowboys both resided in the same conference, Bedlam came naturally. However, just like with so many other things in the new college football world, that changed in a way that many people don’t love. If Bedlam football is going to come back, whether annually or not, both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are going to have to work at it, and they’ll likely have to make some tough decisions to do what’s best for their respective programs along the way.
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Perhaps Bedlam will return, and perhaps it won’t. One of the best rivalries in college football – a tradition spanning generations of Sooners and Cowboys – could be paused for a while, or it could be finished for good. As fans, we’ll just have to wait and see.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Would OU, OSU welcome the return of Bedlam football in new era?
