SEC Day: Party in the Palace Quotes From Oklahoma Supporters, Students and Athletes

Sooners on SI stopped to chat with several Sooners fans, young and old, to ask about their feelings toward Oklahoma football, the new SEC, and more.

A fan wearing an SEC shirt watches as members of the OU band and the spirit squad perform at Campus Corner during a celebration for OU joining the Southeastern Conference in Norman, Okla., Monday, July 1, 2024. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

NORMAN — Sooners on SI was on hand in Norman as Oklahoma celebrated SEC Day on July 1. Bryce McKinnis caught up with fans and OU student athletes alike for their thoughts on OU’s official move that was years in the making. 

Q: Who’s your favorite Sooners player?
Joe Amatuzzo, 69, Norman: I’d probably say Sam Bradford.

Q: What’s your favorite game you’ve ever been to?
JA: Let’s see. Oh my. That’d probably be Notre Dame, Bob Stoops’ first year. Just being there in that atmosphere, I’d never been there.

Q: What SEC team are you most looking forward to seeing your Sooners play next year?
JA: I’d probably say Tennessee because Josh Huepel was almost a Heisman Trophy winner here.

Q: How many wins is it going to take for you to be satisfied with the team’s performance this year?
JA: Oh, I mean, I’m going to be satisfied no matter what. You know, but ideal, for a number of wins, I’d probably have to say. . . I’m going to go with 10.

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Q: How excited are you to be sitting in the student section for SEC game days?
Carolyn Lien, 20, University of Oklahoma junior: It’ll definitely be different. I’m sure it’s going to be more of a lively environment. I didn’t sit in the student section this past year, but I did my freshman year. I sat in the second-to-front row at Bedlam, and that was a crazy environment. A lot of students sitting in the row in front of me were, like, trash talking the players on the field. . . So I can only imagine what it’s going to be with the SEC coming.

Q: As a student, do you feel the gravity of this transition?
CL: I’ve been on campus this summer, and I take a walk every night, and these past couple nights, I’ve kind of seen the beginnings of things changing. Like, they tattooed a couple OU X SEC decals on the sidewalk, and so I’m like ‘Oh! It’s coming up,’ and just having them set up everything has been really cool to see. And then, also, I know when I was a freshman here, a lot of people were like, ‘Oh, they’re going to transfer when we’re seniors,’ but then they moved it up one year, and so I think that just added to the excitement because the students that are here right now, we can experience  that earlier than we thought, so I think just moving the start date up with, like, the contracts and everything was really adding to that hype a lot.

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Q: Which opposing team are you most looking forward to seeing your Sooners play next year?
Preston Gunkel, 36, Altus, Oklahoma: Alabama, because my best friend’s an Alabama fan. (gesturing to friend wearing an SEC T-shirt) His shirt is neutral.

Q: It’s what, a two-hour drive from Altus to Norman? 
PG: Yep, two-hour drive.

Q: How many games do you plan on attending next year?
PG: All of ‘em. Season tickets, same tickets since 2000, right there (pointing to lower bowl on Memorial Stadium’s east side). I miss maybe one or two a season. Boomer Sooner.

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Q: It’s definitely new competition in the SEC. What are you expecting and what are you most excited for?
Sam Godwin, 22, Oklahoma Men’s Basketball Player: The SEC is definitely, it seems like a more athletic league than the Big 12, so it’s kind of something we’ve adjusted to, and, I mean, we’re only three weeks in so far, but just getting up the pace, shooting a lot more 3s this year and honestly just a new style of basketball for us.

Q: You guys are going to be traveling to places like Baton Rouge, Oxford, Tuscaloosa. When you’re back in the LNC playing in front of these fans in Norman, what’s your message for them?
SG: I think we’re going to make a big splash, to be honest. A lot of people are counting us out already. It’s super early, but the group of guys we’ve got are special, like, I’ve never seen a group of shooters like we got this year. BG’s [Brycen Goodine] standing behind me, I shoot with him every day. Bro shoots like 90% on catch-and-shoot shots, like, we’ve got plenty of guys that can shoot the lights out of the ball. So I think it’s going to be exciting to watch and hopefully we’ll bring some good results to Norman.

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Q: How many wins is it going to take for you to be satisfied with the team’s performance this year?
Kelvin Shannon, 61, Oklahoma City: Eight.

Q: How long have you been a Sooners fan?
KS: Oh man, since 1973.

Q: Why 1973?
KS: Because I moved from east Texas to Oklahoma that year, and OU was good that year. Once I saw it on TV, man.

Q: What’s your favorite memory in this stadium?
KS: (Pointing toward Memorial Stadium’s north end zone) Probably sitting in this end zone, I don’t know what year it was, but they were playing Nebraska and it was during, like, an ice storm. It was cold as heck. It was one of my fondest memories.

Q: Do you believe in Sooner magic?
KS: Oh year, for sure.

Q: What is it?
KS: I just look at like, they’re never out of a game. I mean, it’s like, they can be as far down as they can and you can’t leave the TV. You’ve gotta keep watching. You leave, you’ll be like, ‘Oh man, they just came back and won. OU magic.

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Q: Are you excited for NCAA 25 to come out?
Cooper Crossway, 14, Enid, Oklahoma: (About to run a game of Madden at a video game truck under Memorial Stadium’s east seats): Oh yeah, man, it’s going to be lit.

Q: Are you going to have it the day it releases?
CC: Oh yeah.

Q: What player are you most excited to play as?
CC: Dillon Gabriel.

Q: From your perspective, what does the move to the SEC mean?
CC: It’s just going to get bigger, you know? More hype.

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Q: How excited are you to be sitting in the student section for SEC game days?
Heidi Heitfield, 21, University of Oklahoma senior: I’m super excited, just because my family’s from the south, and so the SEC is just going to bring so much more energy and also, like, seeing these other schools play, historically that’s what I’ve grown up watching. So, now, being a part of this new conference and then going into my senior year, it’s like coming full circle. It’s like I’m going back to my roots but also being able to show all of these other schools what Oklahoma’s made of.

Q: As a student, do you feel the gravity of this transition?
HH: I’m actually working as a New Student Orientation Intern this summer, so I’m getting to greet a lot of our incoming freshmen. Something that I’m just seeing across the board is this kind of push. This push to be better, to put our best food forward, especially as we’re entering this new conference and just to really make our name, because, like, we’re the underdogs in this new — I don’t want to say crossover episode, whatever. . . But we’re going to be tested because we’re the new guys. So it’s really just trying to prove we are supposed to be here.

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Q: How many wins is it going to take to satisfy you as a fan?
Corbin Byford, 31, Edmond: Football-wise? I feel like if they are 5-3 in the SEC, especially with the schedule they have, it’s a good year. . . That would, what, put them at 9-3 overall? you know, when you’re talking about next year, that could get you into the playoffs with the 12-team format.

Q: Who’s your all-time favorite Sooner?
CB: Oh man, my all-time favorite Sooner’s going to have to be Lyndle Byford, offensive lineman, played ‘77-’81 for coach Switzer. It just so happens that he’s my dad, as well, but he’s definitely my favorite Sooner.

Q: As a lifelong Sooners fan, what do younger fans need to understand about how momentous this day is?
CB: It’s a big-time move. It’s the first time we’ve ever moved conferences since I’ve been alive, so it’s kind of weird seeing that. They’ve always been in the Big 12 ever since I started paying attention to OU football in the late 90s, so all this conference realignment, to be in a conference like the SEC, it’s a huge deal. It’s a huge deal for football and all the sports. SEC’s basketball just continues to get better, as well. Softball, you know, what a juggernaut the SEC is. It may not happen again in our lifetimes, especially with the way they’re going into these power conferences, so it’s definitely a momentous occasion for OU.