Battle of Bedlam Rivalry to End

We expected to see a lot of change from college realignment, but one we did not want to acknowledge was how it could affect rivalries. The legendary in-state Bedlam Rivalry between Oklahoma State and Oklahoma University became the first big rivalry to announce that it will not be continuing once Oklahoma joins the SEC.  

The Bedlam rivalry has survived 112 years when both schools were a part of the old Big Eight Conference before the Big 12 Conference was formed. This rivalry transcends just football and has created fiery competition with a multitude of different sports. We are unsure if other sports will continue the, soon to be, non-conference rivalry, but we know for football it is over… for now. 

Photo Credit: Bleacher Report

Both athletic directors came out and confirmed, both in different ways, that they were going to discontinue the rivalry. Oklahoma State athletic director, Chad Weiberg, said that their non-conference schedule is full and that they will not be playing OU in their regular season unless something unplanned happens. OU athletic director, Joe Castiglione, said that Oklahoma State decided to not continue the series. 

Both schools seem to take a stubborn stance in their decisions. Non-conference games get changed and canceled all the time and it seems as though Oklahoma State is playing hardball with Oklahoma. I believe that Oklahoma has a hectic enough time ahead of them moving to the SEC and are more concerned about having Alabama, Georgia, and others in their regular season schedule, rather than caring about Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma leads the rivalry that started back in 1904, 90-19-7, but that does not mean both teams don’t care about the rivalry. Both teams are state schools and Bedlam is a big deal for the state of Oklahoma even if one team continues to dominate the series. The Oklahoma State Cowboys are slated to play the Oklahoma Sooners away on November 19 and we must enjoy the legendary match-up while we can. The rivalry is over, for now, but it is hard to see a rivalry so fervent and rich being over forever.