OU suspends normal campus operations for football season opener

There has been a lot of talk over the past few months (and years) about whether the Oklahoma Sooners are “ready for the SEC.”

Brent Venables had two years to prepare the program for the toughest league in football. Two years to build a culture and a level of discipline and toughness that had waned under the previous head coach.

While I and many others are convinced that the Sooners have the right head coach at the helm, sometimes preparing the program for the Southeastern Conference can be too much work for Venables.

The university itself is taking an SEC-like step for OU’s first game of the 2024 season.

Oklahoma’s opening game against the Temple Owls was postponed from Saturday, August 31 to Friday, August 30. In response, the school announced that it had suspended normal academic and campus operations for the day.

The Oklahoman’s Colton Sulley announced the university’s move on social media. Sulley continued, “Given the parking and tailgating issues on campus, it was impossible to hold classes on a game day.”

As expected, OU’s Norman campus has suspended normal academic and campus operations for the football season opener on August 30.

Due to parking and tailgating conditions on campus, they were unable to hold classes on a game day. #Earlier

— Colton Sulley (@colton_sulley) June 17, 2024

The SEC has been mocked or even criticized by people in other parts of the country for the emphasis its member schools’ fans have placed on athletics (especially football) over the years. This is a small example from the University of Oklahoma, but it won’t seem small when game day comes.

This is a decision that is SEC-appropriate. It allows students to significantly improve the atmosphere that Friday night in Norman, as they will not be busy with classes in the hours leading up to kickoff that day. This is the game you are getting into if you decide to join the SEC, whether you like it or not.

It simply means more.

Regarding the reasoning behind the game’s rescheduling, athletic director Joe Castiglione said, “We were asked to consider moving the season opener up a day to allow ESPN to broadcast our first game as a member of the SEC in prime time,” Castiglione said in a statement from the Oklahoma athletic department. “This is a unique and exciting opportunity for us as it will be our first Friday night game in the history of Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and will provide tremendous national exposure for our team. Another great benefit is that our players and fans should benefit from a cooler temperature given the kickoff time. It is expected that evening games will greatly mitigate some of the heat issues we typically deal with during early season games. Our first-ever ‘Friday Night Lights’ will no doubt be an unforgettable experience and we look forward to opening the season and our first year in the SEC in such a spectacular manner.”

Oklahoma vs. Temple kicks off at 6 p.m. CT on August 30. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.