Brent Venables Pleas With to Sooner Nation to 'Show Up ... That's What Our Players Deserve'

From complaining about alternative uniforms and 11 a.m. kickoffs, to joining the SEC soon and missing the spring game, Venables wants OU fans to be "all-in."

NORMAN — Oklahoma coach Brent Venables was asked a question Friday to end his press conference about the importance of being upbeat and positive.

But he quickly diverted into an impassioned plea for Sooner Nation to show up, loud and proud — starting with the annual Red/White Game in two weeks, but continuing to Saturdays this fall and beyond.

“I know what the expectations are in that stadium,” Venables said. “Okay. And that's why … my expectations are from from the fans and from the administration is no different than my expectations from the players and the coaches. You know, if that's just the standard, then everybody — that's what our players deserve.

“You know, everybody has a part. Everything that we do matters in this program. How we show up for the spring game matters. We're gonna have recruits here. It matters. Our players are gonna bust their tails for this place in September and October, November, December and January, OK, then we expect the best from from everybody else supporting the program the right way. OK?

“Don't matter what the temperature is, what time it is, you know, where the sun is during the day. You know, what we're doing if we have a halftime show … we're road, or we're away, what uniforms we’re (wearing) none of that stuff matters. Show up. OK? How we show up matters. OK? Send a message.”

Venables is aware that many fans don’t like 11 a.m. kickoffs. He’s also aware that some don’t like alternate uniforms. In reality, it seems the majority of fans have something they can complain about, even if it seems small and insignificant on the surface. Venables discourages that.

“We've talked about this program being one of the most tradition-rich and best programs in the history college football — then show up with some pride on the 23rd,” he said. “That's the expectation. The expectation for us, we show up and play passionate, we play tough, we play disciplined, we play with uncommon effort. OK? And the expectation for everybody else, just like every sport on this campus, if I'm a Sooner, I'm a Sooner. I'm not a Sooner when it's convenient. OK? I'm not a great fan when it's convenient. OK? That's not how it works. I wish it did.

“Everybody expects me to bring my A-game every day. OK? I like that. I like the expectations. I embrace that. I expect our players to do the same. OK? But as we try to build this program, and transition from where we are today, OK — because we're in the Big 12 today; in a few years, we're gonna be in the SEC — everything that we do matters as we build this foundation. OK? The fan support. OK? The fan engagement. The administration. Again, these coaches, the players, everybody is expected to do their best in everything they do. OK?

“That's what being committed looks like. It's not when it's convenient, and when it's easy. OK? It's when it's hard and when things aren't going well — show up anyway. OK? It's not gonna be, ‘Oh yeah, we want to tailgate all day' — well, sorry. We play at 11. OK? Show up. That's not expecting too much.

“On the flip side, we got to put a good product out there. OK? And do things the right way. When people are proud of how we play is what we're concerned about. OK?”

Venables said the fans naturally have a built-in pride about the program because of all the success and tradition and championships.

“But you know what? None of that matters now moving forward,” he said. “None of it matters. Nobody cares. OK? When we play UTEP, that's all that matters. You know, it'll be the biggest game of the year. When that game is over. Guess what? The next game’s the biggest game of the year. They all matter. Don't matter if we’re a 28-point favorite or a three-point dog. Don't matter if we’re playing in Dallas or we're playing in Manhattan. None of it matters. We need support.

“The expectation is for the players to play up here every single week, to play to that standard. OK? I don't expect the players to play like this (up and down). Because we're one time we're wearing all white, one time we're wearing some — what's that uniform called when it's not the traditional uniform? Alternative uniform. I don't care. I could care less. I don't want our players to care about it. Play to a standard. Practice to this standard. Show up to meetings to a standard. Everything we do matters.

“And that's, to me, the expectation, for the standard to be the standard in that stadium. No matter who we play, what time we play, where we play. OK? You're committed or you're not. OK?”

Venables said he can’t cater to individual players who might have an attitude problem or don’t want to meet the standard for whatever reason.

“They're watching me respond to everything. How I do what I do matters and how everybody else does what they do that should matter too. OK? Doesn't mean we got to be way up here. Don't need to be down here. We don't need to be like this (up and down) as a program. OK? But we need everybody. If that means, you know, wearing your T-shirts in your community. If that means putting a bumper sticker on. If that means sending in $5. OK? It all matters. But every sport on this campus deserves that too.

“If you’re a Sooner fan, you’re a Sooner fan. We’re getting ready to go to the SEC in a couple of years. We better better bring it. Better bring your mouthpiece. It all matters. That’s where the home field advantage matters. Creating an environment that’s difficult and challenging for the opponent. It affects them. OK? But it should be that way ever single week. That’s got to be our DNA. We can’t say ‘OU DNA’ and then we go out there and three quarters of the stadium’s full. We’ll still play hard. We’ll play tough anyway. I’m going out and playing to how many fans are in the stadium. But that shouldn’t matter. Our players are busting their butt. OK? And we’re gonna hold ‘em accountable. And when we play, I want people to be proud of how we play. OK? With toughness, with discipline, with passion, alright? We’re playing together and representing this great university. That’s all anybody can expect from them, is for them to show up every week and do their best. And if they do that, then we can all lay our heads down at night and have no regret. Moving forward, that’s what it looks like to us.

“This is — what we do is tough. It’s hard. But it doesn’t mean you can’t have passion and energy and enthusiasm for it. To me, it takes those things to be great at something, and to have longevity and sustainability in this, that’s what it takes. That’s what being all-in means. It’s everyone. Every one. Everybody committed to doing their best on and off the field. Right? How you do everything is how you do anything. Right?”