Why Oklahoma St HC Mike Gundy hates Sooners' SEC exit? "They left the conference, Bedlam goes with it" as the Big 12 in-state rivalry comes to an end
Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy had some sad news at the Big 12's Media Days. With the Oklahoma Sooners leaving for the Southeastern Conference in 2024, the Bedlam Series is in jeopardy.
The Bedlam Series is the annual meeting between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Gundy said the end of the tradition should be put on the Sooners though.
"When Oklahoma decided to leave the Big 12, they chose to end Bedlam. It's a one-sided deal," Gundy said. "People, we're 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 wth it."
Even with the two teams no longer being in the same conference beginning next year, Mike Gundy gave insight as to how difficult it is to expect it to happen.
"The SEC eventually will go to a nine-game schedule," Gundy said. "I'm sure Oklahoma has a Power Five team they're playing every year. We would have a difficult tiime matching up with them in nonconference.
"We're scheduled out through '37. 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."
This has been one of the premier rivalry games in college football and to see it end like this would be devastating.
Is Mike Gundy overreacting to Oklahoma's exit?
It sounds like sour here as there are many incredible in-state rivalries that happen each year. The Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones face off as well as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets with the Georgia Bulldogs.
It makes sense to not try and put this all on the shoulders of the Oklahoma State Cowboys as they were not the ones to leave. If their nonconference schedule is booked up already, it is not fair to try to fit this in. However, the Bedlam Series should not be at risk of ending this way.
Mike Gundy sitting in the stands for Big 12 Media Days.
Reminds me of Sting in the rafters. https://t.co/SGXjTGImRD
Mike Gundy and the Oklahoma State Cowboys apparently have their nonconference schedule completed 14 years down the line. How difficult would it be to tell the programs they are slated to play that things changed? It's not like the Cowboys are playing non-Power Five teams that they need to pay.
The Bedlam Series should continue on. It's not like the Oklahoma Sooners decided to join the SEC last week so there has been ample time to prepare.