Conference realignment is robbing college football fans of one of the best rivalries in the sport, according to one prominent Big 12 head coach.
Big 12 powers Oklahoma and Texas will be bolting for the SEC after this season, and Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was quite frank in discussing the future of his team’s Bedlam rivalry against the Sooners at Big 12 media days Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
“When Oklahoma decided to leave the Big 12, they chose to end Bedlam,” Gundy said, per Action Network's Brett McMurphy.
“It’s a one-sided deal,” added Gundy. “People were trying to decide what happened and what needs to happen to make it go on. They kept pushing Oklahoma State into it. We didn’t have jack to do with that. They left the conference. Bedlam goes with it.
“The SEC eventually will go to a nine-game schedule. I’m sure Oklahoma has a Power 5 team they’re playing every year. We would have a difficult time matching up with them in non-conference. We’re scheduled out through 2037. We’re not responsible to change what we do because they left the conference. It’s real simple. They chose to get into the SEC. That’s the choice they made.”
The Cowboys and Sooners have played each other 117 times to date, with Oklahoma holding a 91-19-7 lead in the all-time series. This year’s Bedlam showdown, scheduled for Nov. 4, appears to be the last one for the foreseeable future.
“Oklahoma State is not going to change what we do because Oklahoma went to the SEC,” Gundy said. “They need to change what they do.”
