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What is Oklahoma In For in the SEC? 'A Lot,' Says Alabama Softball Coach

Patrick Murphy said the Crimson Tide routinely have 3,800 fans for home games, and the volume of SEC teams who land NCAA Tournament bids might seem overwhelming.

John E. Hoover

OKLAHOMA CITY — There’s no doubt that Oklahoma is raising the level of play across the nation in the sport of softball.

But will the Sooners continue to elevate everyone game when they join the Southeastern Conference?

OU is the best team in the nation and has the preeminent program in all of collegiate softball. But conference-wise, the SEC is a juggernaut.

“It's just going to be a lot,” said Alabama coach Patrick Murphy.

In preparation for the Sooners’ first season of play in the SEC in 2025, OU coach Patty Gasso has been ramping up the Sooners’ schedule, packing midweek and weekend opportunities with SEC teams. The reason is simple: OU’s schedule is about to get a whole lot harder.

“This league,” said Tennessee coach Karen Weekly, “I’ve been in it for 22 years — it's the best for a lot of reasons. But we just keep getting better. You know when they add programs, add teams, schools, they're going to be the best of the best. That's what it's going to be in softball.

“I mean, when you have all of your softball programs advancing to regionals except one, and there's some years we have every program advance into regionals, yeah, that's something that they're probably not used to playing day in and day out.

“I have a feeling that OU and Texas won't have a problem with it.”

She may be right. Just this year, OU (57-1) is 9-0 against SEC teams, with four run-rule victories. The closest game was a 3-0 win at LSU.

Saturday at the Women's College World Series, the Sooners play Tennessee.

Here’s what Murphy said this week about OU entering the SEC and what both the league and the Sooners are in for:

Q. We're getting closer and closer to the Sooners getting to the SEC. What are they in for? What are you guys in for when they get there?”

A: “I think we have 3,200 season ticket holders; we average almost 3,800 a game. When they play them at home, I think it's in 2025, already decided, those three games will be sold out in February. There will not be a ticket. There will be scalpers. Online it will be $220 per ticket for sure.

“I think it's the grind of the SEC. These ladies can say every weekend is like a World Series matchup. You play three games. It is tiring. It is mentally exhausting. It's like, ‘Oh, my God, I gotta play Florida, Georgia, I got LSU and Auburn — everybody is good. Everybody is good. We lost to the last-place team in the league. Anybody can beat you at any time. If you don't bring it, you're going to get your butt beat. I think that's what they're going to face.

“On top of that, with their tradition, what they've been doing, it's going to be double in terms of the fans, the opposing teams, the willingness to compete — it will go through the roof for both schools.

“Also for the SEC, when we had Texas A&M and Missouri come in, you guys know this, the two biggest sports at those two schools was softball. The two best sports for Oklahoma and Texas to me are softball. Who gets the raw end of the deal? It's softball — me!

“Our league is strong right now. We got 12 out of 13 (in the NCAA Tournament). Shoot, I wouldn't doubt if we get 15 out of 15 because it's going to be that strong.

“It's just going to be a lot. The gentlemen in the back row for ESPN and SEC Network, they're going to have a heyday with it, as are all of you.”

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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