Is Oklahoma SEC-ready?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Dec. 9, 2022, Greg Sankey visited Norman, Oklahoma, for the first time.

The SEC Commissioner was in town for the OU-Arkansas basketball game on Dec. 10. But he primarily made the trip to speak with athletics director Joe Castiglione and university president Joe Harroz about Oklahoma’s transition to the South Eastern Conference. Sankey started the day by touring the school’s campus and athletic facilities. And he ended the day at Mahogany Steakhouse in Oklahoma City with Castiglione, Harroz, and women’s basketball coach Jennie Baranczyk.

He left Norman impressed from the administration to the football program to the fanbase. He was unworried about Oklahoma’s move to the SEC.

“I saw Brent (Venables’) office and I was like, ‘wow, that’s a heck of an office for a football coach,’” Sankey told SoonerScoop.com in a one-on-one interview at SEC Media Days in Nashville. “There’s a passionate fanbase there and we’re accustomed to that. A commitment to high-level, national championship-caliber sports. In fact, I kidded Joe (Castiglione) and Bob Stoops one time, ‘You know I used to win softball and gymnastics – stay away from our football championships.’ So, it’ll be great to have them with us.

“You’ve seen a continuing commitment to facilities, the high-level support for young people, educational opportunities, and competing at a national championship level. And a wonderfully passionate fanbase that’s consistent with what we represent in the Southeastern Conference.”

A daunting, but exciting future is quickly approaching for Oklahoma, which will join the SEC in 2024 along with its long-time rival Texas. It’s a move that will change the landscape of collegiate athletics. Oklahoma and Texas have been a part of the Big 12 for the past 28 years – a conference that OU, specifically, has had a lot of success in, winning 14 conference championships in football.

But despite Oklahoma’s historic success on the field, some are worried about the school’s transition to the toughest conference in football. Last year’s 6-7 season has a lot to do with that concern. Still, despite historic success in football, there’s doubt from some that OU can compete on and off the field.

The term often used is “SEC ready.” Is Brent Venables SEC-ready? Is Joe Castiglione SEC-ready? The university SEC-ready? Is the football team SEC-ready? Is the fanbase SEC-ready?

SoonerScoop.com went to SEC football media days in Nashville to find out, asking coaches, administrators, players, media members, and others that question. And the answers were boundless.

Some said no.

“I don’t think they know what they’re getting into,” LSU running back Josh Williams said. “The SEC is a beast, everybody knows that.”

Some said yes.

“I think they are certainly ready,” said South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, who was an assistant at OU from 2018-2020. “Certainly great tradition at that place and excited about going back to Norman in 2024. We have a lot of football to play before then, but that’s a proud program with great leadership under Joe Castiglione.”

And some just want to brag about the prowess of the conference.

“You can’t limp into this league. You’ll get run over,” SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum said. “Nobody needs to take the Big 12 and compare it to the SEC. There’s simply no comparison. OU’s done so well, but everyone talks about going to Iowa State. Well, I can give you 12 places in the SEC that make Iowa State look like a kindergarten class.”

No one will truly know if Oklahoma is SEC-ready until it actually competes in the conference. But there’s no question it will be a difficult challenge. A better question is what does being “SEC ready” really mean? And how can Oklahoma best prepare itself over the next year to be ready?

The answer to that is widespread and one Oklahoma’s administration, football program, and fanbase will have to figure out along the way.

“Oklahoma’s got the fabric to be successful in any league,” said Mississippi State athletics director Zac Selmon, who worked in OU’s athletic department for 14 years. “You’re always going to be ready, but you’ve got to think if you’re running into a headwind and it’s 10 miles per hour in some leagues, in the SEC that headwind is going to be 20 miles per hour. So what are you going to do to train, prepare yourself to run faster against tougher winds, tougher oppositions? I think that’s what the SEC provides.”

OU’s administration

Castiglione, now in his 25th year as OU’s athletics director, has been building Oklahoma into one of the best athletic departments in the country for some time. Oklahoma is one of the only self-sustaining athletic departments in the country, ranking 10th in total revenue in 2022. The only SEC schools ahead of Oklahoma were Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and LSU.

And Castiglione is a big reason why so many people outside of Oklahoma – including Sankey – believe the transition to the SEC will be smoother than expected.

“I’m not worried about Oklahoma because of Joe Castiglione,” College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock said. “Will it be difficult? Of course. The SEC has dominated the playoff. But Joe has had challenges before and it’s not like Oklahoma isn’t one of the premier programs in all of college football and really has been since the inception of the sport.”

But Castiglione and the university have work to do. Whether it’s leading the charge in NIL or improving the tailgating scene on game days, Oklahoma’s administration are as responsible for the football team’s success moving forward as the team itself.

That’s why Castiglione has been preparing since the moment he and Sankey started discussing the idea of Oklahoma joining the SEC.

“You knew that the SEC and Oklahoma was going to be a great fit,” said Selmon, who sat in those meetings with the SEC and played a major role in OU joining the SEC as Castiglione’s right-hand man. “I think Joe has done a beautiful job being a visionary and always positioning Oklahoma to be successful now and in the future.”

Since Oklahoma announced its decision to join the SEC, Castiglione has hired a new football coach – one many believe is a perfect fit in the conference – pushed for new tailgating policies on campus, which are expected to be announced soon, and recently helped a new $175 million football facility get approved by the Board of Regents.

OU athletic director Joe Castiglione and new football head coach Brent Venables clap during Venables’ introduction on Dec. 6 in Norman.

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“They had great facilities when I was there and I guess they have plans to build a new one,” Beamer said. “When you’ve got an athletics director like Joe Castiglione, he’s not slowing down or sitting still. He’s going to make things the best they can be.”

Castiglione, 65, was the maestro behind Oklahoma’s move to the SEC and is prepared to see through his vision to put OU in the best conference in collegiate sports. Though, if you asked him five years ago, he likely would’ve laughed at the idea of Oklahoma in the SEC.

But Castiglione knew the college athletics landscape was changing, and Oklahoma had to change with it. And now he’s ready to lead OU into the SEC.

“If there’s a mount rushmore or athletics directors, Joe’s on it,” Selmon said. “The run under his tenure is remarkable. I also think in addition to having Joe C. leading OU, having somebody with athletics experience from when he was a general counsel in having Joe Harroz there, is also a great one-two punch to be able to get Oklahoma in a great position. I’ve got full confidence that both Joe C. and Joe H. working together will get Oklahoma not just in, but be able to be competitive.”

Oklahoma on the field

When Castiglione and Selmon — the leaders of OU’s head coaching search committee — set out to find who would lead Oklahoma football, they knew playing in the SEC was the No. 1 challenge. Lincoln Riley had left just six months after the SEC announcement. And OU desperately needed someone who understood what it took to compete in the conference.

They landed on Venables, who hadn’t coached in the SEC but was as close as one could get, helping Clemson win two national titles thanks to his defense. The Tigers were built on physicality and talent, recruiting some of the top defensive linemen in the country to Clemson.

Venables had 26 defensive players — 12 defensive linemen — drafted during his 10 years at Clemson. Sixteen of those 26 were taken in the first three rounds, including eight first-rounders, five of which were defensive linemen. Oklahoma has had 17 defensive players drafted since Venables’ departure, with nine defensive linemen. Only five of those 17 were drafted in the first three rounds and only one was a first-rounder. Oklahoma hasn’t had a defensive lineman drafted in the first round since Gerald McCoy in 2010, who played for Venables.

That’s been the difference for Oklahoma in recent history. While Riley turned OU into an offensive juggernaut, its fatal flaw has been on the defensive side of the ball — especially up front.

“I think you look at the teams that have been able to be competitive in the SEC, you look at winning in the trenches,” said Selmon, who was part of the interview process with Venables. “The front seven on defense, what’s your offensive line looking like? And I think you look at what Brent was able to do at Oklahoma and then at Clemson, really developing his philosophy of running an elite defense – I know he’s got the playbook to be successful. You look at the teams that have been really successful in the SEC or have gone on to win championships in this league, it’s been predominantly teams that have been able to have a great defensive identity.”

Jan 28, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs athletic director Zac Selmon is introduces during a timeout during the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

No doubt about it Oklahoma will have to improve talent-wise in the SEC. They’ve led the country in NFL draft picks for the past 17 years, with 62 players selected in the 2023 NFL Draft compared to the Big 12’s 40.

Texas A&M and Missouri both struggled to adapt to that talent gap in 2012 and haven’t seen much success since joining the conference. Texas A&M, which has caught up talent-wise, is 48-41 in the conference, while Missouri is 41-49.

“Almost everyone in the SEC has elite players,” Finebaum said. “The standard is so much higher. Everything is better about it. I’m not talking in cliches here. I’m talking reality. It’s essentially the NFL – it’s the standard of college football. There are Big Ten teams that are in the same boat, and Clemson and USC, but it’s different. Just look at the NFL Draft. That’s all you need to know.”

But under Venables, Oklahoma appears to be trending in the right direction in terms of talent. OU is closing in on one of its best defensive recruiting classes in recent history. Oklahoma has a chance to land a few defensive linemen that Riley wouldn’t have sniffed while at OU. And that’s coming off a losing season – imagine what type of players Venables can land if he wins.

That’s why the 2023 season is so pivotal for Venables and Oklahoma. Because if they don’t win and have to “limp” into the 2024 season, it could set the program back several years.

“I think it’s more about last year’s disaster than it is about the program itself,” Finebaum said. “It will be a much bigger problem a year from now if Brent Venables doesn’t immediately turn things around.”

But if they do win and if they can stay on the same trajectory on the recruiting trail, then Oklahoma will be ready on the field in the SEC.

“Brent knows what he’s doing, that program knows what it’s doing and they will figure it out. I have a lot of confidence in Brent and that program,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said in Nashville. “I think the world of him as a person and as a coach. Excited for him because I know he’ll do great things there, and I think he’s a great fit.”

Sooner Nation

Oklahoma has sold out 128 consecutive home football games, dating back to 1999 – the second-longest sellout streak in college football behind only Nebraska. Oklahomans don’t miss a game on Saturdays, which is why most believe Sooner Nation will fit in in the SEC.

“OU fans fit right in,” said SEC Network’s Dari Nowkhah, who graduated from Oklahoma in 1998. “I don’t think there really is any advice they need. It’s be loud when Alabama is in your house. And get out and go see these places. These are incredible places to see in the fall… You can’t beat it in this league.”

It certainly will be different for Oklahoma, traveling to places like Baton Rouge, Louisiana, versus Lawrence, Kansas. As Sooner fans know from playing SEC schools in non-conference and in the postseason, they travel to watch their teams. Part of that is the sure size of SEC schools. Oklahoma will be one of only four schools with an enrollment under 30,000 students, a number the university anticipates to increase with the move to the conference.

But not only do they travel, they let their presence known on the road. Just ask OU fans that made trips to the 2004 Sugar Bowl against LSU in New Orleans or the 2008 BCS Championship (at the Orange Bowl) against Florida or the 2017 Rose Bowl against Georgia.

“Everybody’s got great passion,” Finebaum said. “But the SEC will suffocste you with Tiger Stadium, Tuscaloosa, The Grove – it’s endless.”

Oklahoma will get a taste of SEC country immediately, traveling to LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn and Missouri in 2024.

But it also welcomes some premier programs in Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina, which have all expressed excitement about visiting Norman because of the program’s tradition and fan base.

“It’s a great environment in that stadium. I love coaching in it. Great fans there. And all the traditions of Oklahoma football – there’s nothing like it,” Beamer said. “There’s nothing like going into a stadium and you pass seven or however many Heisman Trophy statues. That’s unique and whatnot. I think the thing that will be different is – and no disrespect to anyone in that conference – but there’s certain Saturdays you go into a stadium and you’re not playing in front of 60, 70, 80, 90, 100,000 people. That’s really not the case in this league.”

In the SEC, the fanbases are more passionate. Whether it’s calling into the Finebaum show, poisoning their rivals’ sacred tree, or paying whatever it costs to get a top recruit, it truly does mean more to those in the South. Even the media is a different beast, with over 1,000 credentialed media at SEC Media Days compared to 700 at Big 12 Media Days.

Coaches – other than Alabama’s Nick Saban and Georgia’s Kirby Smart – are constantly on the hot seat. And even they receive constant criticism.

“I think the fan bases are passionate. Each fanbase of every SEC school, they adamantly love their institution,” Selmon said. “I think the expectation is championships. The lifestyle of athletics is probably a little grander whether it’s tailgating or planning your weekends around games. It’s not just the game, it’s everything else around the game. We had a baseball series here with Ole Miss and we had over 16,000 fans in the stands just for a Saturday game. The tag line – ‘it just means more’ – I think it shows the fan support in the SEC and the pride the conference has.”

But let’s not act like Oklahoma fans aren’t any different. There were fans calling for Venables job after just one season. The expectation at Oklahoma is, and always has been, to win national titles. That won’t change in the SEC.

“The support and the fanbase are part of the intrigue,” Sankey said. “And we wouldn’t be in this conversation if the support of the fanbase weren’t at the SEC level. Our staff has traveled once to Norman to just evaluate game operations. We do have expectations that are different from the Big 12.”

In conclusion, SoonerScoop.com found that most in SEC Country believe Oklahoma is “SEC ready.” And history says the Sooners are. Will it be tougher? Sure. But time and again, over the last 100-plus years, Oklahoma has found a way to rise to the occasion.

Most will say OU will be judged not by the best facilities or their tailgating scene or attendance at games, but by wins and losses. And to a degree, that’s true. But all those things matter. Those details go hand-in-hand with winning, and Oklahoma will have to continue to prioritize each of them in the SEC.

“That’s what you’re ultimately judged upon – the scoreboard,” Selmon said. “You look at the championships, the SEC has dominated. Clearly, the competition is the best of the best in America. So, you think about it, it’s got to be the tip of the spear. Everything from programmatic elements from how we’re recruiting, how we’re training, what our academics look like, our degrees, our retention strategies – all of that. Knowing you have to have the best players, but also knowing you’ve got to have depth.

“It’s really about finding your own identity and then knowing you’re going to have to maximize that to another level. Whatever you can be good at, whatever your footprint provides you, you’re going to have to be the tip of the spear with whatever that is.”

And for Oklahoma, the tip of its spear has to be winning, as it has been since 1905.

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