Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione Says 'We Can Do A Lot More'

Oklahoma athletic director addresses department's response to nationwide racial tension

Two weeks after George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minnesota police officer took the nation by storm, Sooner football is still very much on the back-burner in the grand scheme.

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione’s weekly press conference fully reflected that reality. Castiglione opened his presser by fielding questions about his department’s response to the racially charged tension that has engulfed the nation.

“There’s forward momentum and that’s a positive thing,” he said. “We have been engaged in promoting more dialogue amongst ourselves, and a lot of times we’re doing more listening and less talking. I know that a lot of this at the moment sounds like a bunch of words. But the words really need to start turning into more actionable steps, and they will.”

Castiglione emphasized that the university has prioritized their internal culture and the cultivation of healthy perspectives.

“It’s really brought more awareness,” he said. “It improves our culture, and we’ve committed to that. It’s part of our value system. It is something that we committed to live to. That being said, there’s so much more that we can do.”

What exactly that looks like is yet to be determined. Castiglione mentioned that he may make November 3 a mandatory off day for staff and athletes to facilitate voting. Lincoln Riley also said last week that he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of joining players in a demonstrative protest.

“We’ve heard about the pain, and it’s real,” Castiglione continued. “We’re starting with these conversations. We’ve had to become, and will continue to be, comfortable with uncomfortable conversations. We can do a lot more.”

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