Bedlam Football Does Not Have to be a Casualty of Conference Realignment
Conference realignment has taken away a number of historic rivalries, but that does not mean it has to.
On Thursday, Brett McMurphy reported that Oregon and Oregon State had agreed to a home-and-home series from 2024 to 25. While the politics of Oklahoma State and Oklahoma’s series ending would be tough to overcome, it may be a hurdle worth clearing.
The Sooners’ move to the SEC blindsided the Cowboys and eventually led to 2023’s edition of Bedlam being the final one scheduled. The game was a storybook finish to the Bedlam series.
As so many others had been throughout the rivalry, the game came down to the final minutes, where OSU held on to win 27-24. The game in Stillwater ended with fans storming the field and one of the goalposts going on a tour around town.
The scenes after the final kneel-down were a reminder of the utter euphory a fanbase gets after upsetting a bitter rival. However, those scenes will not be found again for a long time unless the in-state rivals change their views at the end of the series.
The two athletic directors, Chad Weiberg of OSU and Joe Castiglione of OU, have expressed their disappointment with the end of Bedlam football. Still, neither has shown much desire to do anything except point fingers at the other.
OSU’s side of the story is straightforward: it was left behind by its biggest rival, and the matchup between the two is nothing more than a casualty of conference realignment. With OSU’s schedule already filled with a nonconference power five opponent for the near future, it must either take on a brutal nonconference schedule or go through the process of canceling an already scheduled matchup.
On the other hand, OU has publicly seemed willing to tack OSU onto its future nonconference schedules but cannot if OSU does not cooperate. Although OSU feels it has received the short end of the stick, OU is correct in that aspect.
It is entirely understandable for the Cowboys to be upset with how Bedlam football ended abruptly. However, if they simply hold a grudge against the Sooners for leaving, the possibility of the series returning soon is slim to none.
While neither team necessarily wants a tougher schedule than necessary, the new 12-team College Football Playoff format would help alleviate concerns about the game hurting national title odds. As a nonconference game, the auto-bid for winning their conference would not be affected, and the expansion of the playoff will likely allow two or three-loss teams to sneak in.
Although adding a quality loss is not exactly a selling point for either school, it is a reminder that sacrifice is not a bad thing for both sides. That sacrifice is needed most for the fans.
Bedlam football has been a staple for the state of Oklahoma for the past century and is a matchup that fans deserve to look forward to in the future.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.