View source for Oklahoma Sooners

{{short description|Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Oklahoma}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox school athletics
| name = Oklahoma Sooners
| logo = Oklahoma Sooners logo.svg
| logo_width = 100
| university = [[University of Oklahoma]]
| association = NCAA
| conference = [[SEC Conference|SEC]] (primary)<br />[[Big 12 Conference|Big 12]] (wrestling) <br />[[Mountain Pacific Sports Federation|MPSF]] (men's gymnastics)
| division = [[NCAA Division I|Division I]]  ([[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|FBS]])
| director = [[Joe Castiglione (athletic director)|Joe Castiglione]]
| location = [[Norman, Oklahoma]]
| teams = 19
| ncaa titles =
| stadium = [[Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium]]
| basketballarena = [[Lloyd Noble Center]]
| baseballfield = [[L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park]]
| softballstadium = [[Love's Field]]
| soccerstadium = John Crain Field
| trackvenue= [[John Jacobs Track and Field Complex]] <br />[[Mosier Indoor Track Facility]]
| volleyballarena = [[McCasland Field House]]
| golfcourse = Jimmy Austin OU Golf Club
| tenniscourt= Headington Tennis Center
| mascot = [[Sooner Schooner]]
| nickname = [[Sooners]]
| fightsong = [[Boomer Sooner]]
| pageurl = https://soonersports.com/
| altlogo   = [[File:Oklahoma athletics wordmark 2018.png|200px]]
}}

The '''Oklahoma Sooners''' are the [[college athletics in the United States |athletic]] teams that represent the [[University of Oklahoma]], located in [[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]]. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "[[Sooners]]", a reference to a nickname given to the early participants in the [[Land Run of 1889]], which initially opened the [[Unassigned Lands]] in the future state of [[Oklahoma]] to non-native settlement.<ref>{{cite web|title=What is a Sooner?|url=http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208806115 |publisher=Oklahoma Sooners|date=May 28, 2015|access-date=May 28, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sooner – Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture |url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=SO010|publisher=[[Oklahoma Historical Society]]|date=May 28, 2015 |access-date=May 28, 2015}}</ref> The university's athletic teams compete in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA)'s [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] in the [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC). The university's current athletic director is [[Joe Castiglione (athletic director)|Joe Castiglione]].
[[File:SEC logo in Oklahoma  colors.svg|thumb|150px|SEC logo in Oklahoma's colors]]

The Sooners have won 45 team national championships.  In 2002, the University of Oklahoma was ranked as the third best college sports program in America by ''[[Sports Illustrated]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=America's Best Sports Colleges |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2002/10/01/1_10/ |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=October 1, 2002 |access-date=May 28, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021019031054/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2002/10/01/1_10/ |archive-date=October 19, 2002 }}</ref>

== Sports sponsored ==
{| class="wikitable" style=" "
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Oklahoma Sooners|Men's sports|Women's sports}}
|-
| [[Oklahoma Sooners baseball|Baseball]] || [[Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball|Basketball]]
|-
| [[Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball|Basketball]] || Cross country
|-
| Cross country|| Golf
|-
| [[Oklahoma Sooners football|Football]]|| [[Oklahoma Sooners women's gymnastics|Gymnastics]]
|-
| Golf|| Rowing
|-
| [[Oklahoma Sooners men's gymnastics|Gymnastics]]|| [[Oklahoma Sooners women's soccer|Soccer]]
|-
| Tennis|| [[Oklahoma Sooners softball|Softball]]
|-
| Track and field<sup>†</sup> || Tennis
|-
| Wrestling|| Track and field<sup>†</sup>
|-
| || [[Oklahoma Sooners women's volleyball|Volleyball]]
|-
|colspan="2" style="{{NCAA secondary color cell|Oklahoma Sooners}}"|{{small|† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor}}
|}
The University of Oklahoma was a charter member of the [[Southwest Athletic Conference]] (SWC) during its formation in 1914. Five years later, in 1919, OU left the SWC and joined the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association. In 1928, this conference split, and OU remained aligned with the teams that formed the [[Big Six Conference]]. Over the next 31 years, more schools were added and the conference underwent several name changes, incrementing the number each time up to the [[Big Eight Conference]] where it remained until 1996. Four Texas schools joined with the members of Big Eight to form the current [[Big 12 Conference]].

In July 2021, Oklahoma and the [[Texas Longhorns|University of Texas at Austin]] accepted invitations to join the [[Southeastern Conference]] after the two universities had reached out to the conference.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Medina |first=Daniella |title=How to leave a conference in 10 days: A timeline of how Texas and Oklahoma invaded the SEC |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/2021/07/30/texas-oklahoma-sec-expansion-timeline/5432759001/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}}</ref> In May 2023, it was announced that the two universities had approved the necessary contractual agreements with both conferences in order officially join the SEC on July 1, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-06 |title=OU, Texas get OK from regents for '24 SEC move |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/37493967/oklahoma-texas-reach-deals-big-12-2024-move-sec |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> Oklahoma remains an affiliate member of the Big 12 in men's wrestling.<ref>{{Cite web |title=OU Wrestling to Remain in Big 12 Conference as Affiliate Member |url=https://soonersports.com/news/2023/10/26/ou-wrestling-to-remain-in-big-12-conference-as-affiliate-member |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=University of Oklahoma |language=en}}</ref>  

When combined with [[Blake Griffin]]'s [[John Wooden Award]] and [[Sam Bradford]]'s [[Heisman Trophy]], Oklahoma became the second school to have a top winner in both basketball and football in the same year (in 1968, [[Gary Beban]] won the Heisman Trophy and [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]] won the USBWA "Player of the Year" award for UCLA).

===Football===
{{main|Oklahoma Sooners football}}
[[File:OMSFront.jpg|thumb|Oklahoma Memorial Stadium]]
The Sooners have been participating in [[college football]] since 1895. Calling [[Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium]] at [[Owen Field]] home, the team has won numerous bowl games, 50 conference championships (including every [[Big Eight Conference|Big Seven]] championship awarded), and seven [[Associated Press]] National Championships, making the Sooners football program one of the most decorated in college football. Oklahoma has scored the most points in Division I-A football history despite the fact they have played over 60 fewer games than the second place school on that list.<ref>[http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/misc/div_ia_points_for.php Division I-A All-Time Points Scored] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526235017/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/misc/div_ia_points_for.php |date=May 26, 2006 }} College Football Data Warehouse.</ref> OU also has the highest winning percentage of any team since the start of the AP poll in 1936.<ref>Soonersports.com. [http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/m-footbl-quick-facts.html OU Football Quick Facts] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820100647/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/m-footbl-quick-facts.html |date=August 20, 2007}}. Retrieved on August 21, 2007.</ref>

The Sooners possess 7 national championships in football, with 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, and 2000 seasons featuring the top team in the [[Associated Press]] final poll, and the 2000 [[Bowl Championship Series]] National Championship as well. This number is 3rd only to the [[Alabama Crimson Tide]] (12) and the [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish]] (8) for the [[AP National Championship Trophy|most AP titles of any Division I college football team]] after the end of World War II (which is commonly used as the division between eras in college football).<ref>SoonerSports.com. [http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/m-footbl-national-championships.html Seven National Championships] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100928054731/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/m-footbl-national-championships.html |date=September 28, 2010 }}. [[University of Oklahoma]]. Retrieved on August 21, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/m-footbl-no1-program-modern-era.html No. 1 program of the modern era] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120000000/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/m-footbl-no1-program-modern-era.html |date=November 20, 2007 }}. [[University of Oklahoma]]. Retrieved on August 21, 2007.</ref>

In addition to these seven acknowledged national championships there are also ten additional years in which the NCAA's official record book lists other selections (mostly by math rating systems) of the Sooners as national champions, with the first four years in retrospect: 1915, 1949, 1953, 1957, 1967, 1973, 1978, 1980, 1986, 2003.<ref>[https://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/ia_football_past_champs.html Past Division I-A Football National Champions] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060826000000/http://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/ia_football_past_champs.html |date=August 26, 2006 }}. www.ncaa.org</ref> In general, math formula rankings are not recognized as national championships.<ref>{{cite web|title=Math-Based Rating|url=https://www.tiptop25.com/mathratings.html|last=Vautravers|first=James|access-date=2019-06-09|quote=For modern (post-WWII) years, however, no one recognizes math formulas as national championships. If they did, just using the systems listed in the NCAA Records Book, we would have an additional 42 so-called national champions between 1970 and the present.}}</ref> The [[University of Oklahoma]] does not acknowledge these additional "championships", as they were not awarded by the [[Associated Press]], [[United Press International]] (UPI), [[USA Today Coaches Poll]], or the [[Bowl Championship Series]] (BCS).

[[File:OU PregameHuddle.jpg|thumb|The Oklahoma squad in a pregame huddle, 2006]]
Individual success is also a major part of Oklahoma football; seven [[Heisman Trophy]] winners ([[Billy Vessels]], [[Steve Owens (American football)|Steve Owens]], [[Billy Sims]], [[Jason White (American football)|Jason White]], [[Sam Bradford]], [[Baker Mayfield]], and [[Kyler Murray]]) are surrounded by many other award winners, including [[National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|NFL MVP Award]] winner [[Adrian Peterson]], [[Joe Washington]], [[Brian Bosworth]], [[Tony Casillas]], [[Greg Pruitt]], [[Josh Heupel]], [[Jerry Tubbs]], [[Rocky Calmus]], [[Granville Liggins]], [[Teddy Lehman]], [[Lee Roy Selmon]], [[Roy Williams (safety)|Roy Williams]], [[Tommy McDonald (American football)|Tommy McDonald]], [[Mark J. Clayton|Mark Clayton]], [[Tommie Harris]], [[J. C. Watts]], [[Keith Jackson (tight end)|Keith Jackson]], and [[Jammal Brown]]. More than a dozen Sooner players have been inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]]. Oklahoma has more Butkus award winners than any other school.

[[File:Oklahoma University - Memorial Stadium - Norman, Oklahoma (6088942148).jpg|thumb|Oklahoma University – Memorial Stadium – Norman, Oklahoma (6088942148)]]
Coaches [[Bennie Owen]], [[Bud Wilkinson]], [[Barry Switzer]] and [[Bob Stoops]] have passed through the game-day tunnel for the Sooners, each on his way to the College Football Hall of Fame. Owen was the first highly successful coach at OU and was a major advocate of the forward pass, which at the turn of the century was not popular. The playing surface at Oklahoma's [[Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium]] is popularly known as [[Owen Field]] in honor of his long tenure and devotion to the university. Wilkinson left many imprints on the game, such as the [[5–2 defense]] with five linemen and two linebackers; the perfection of the [[Split-T]], an early option offense; three national championships; and his teams set the NCAA Division 1 record for consecutive wins at 47 (started October 10, 1953, vs. Texas and ended in 1957 with a loss to Notre Dame 7–0). Switzer won three national championships (the National Championship of 1975 is highly controversial; Arizona State went 12–0 that season while Oklahoma was 11–1) and forged arguably the fiercest rushing offense ever,{{citation needed|date=September 2016}} the Oklahoma [[wishbone formation]], throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Though the end of Switzer's tenure at Oklahoma was marked by controversy and poor player behavior, he is generally well regarded by both his past players and Sooner fans.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}} During his 16 years as the Sooners' head coach, Switzer led his team to 12 conference championships and never lost more than two games in a row. His winning percentage of .837 stands as the fourth-highest in the history of 1-A football. Other Hall of Fame coaches whose tenure included stints at the University of Oklahoma are [[Biff Jones|Lawrence "Biff" Jones]] and Jim Tatum.

===Baseball===
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2010}}
{{main|Oklahoma Sooners baseball}}

The Oklahoma Baseball tradition is long, proud and storied, with two National Championships in 1951 and 1994, along with numerous All-Americans. Their home field is [[L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park]], named after famed player [[Dale Mitchell (baseball)|Dale Mitchell]]. The current coach is [[Skip Johnson]]. The baseball program was a source of recent controversy when the head coach, [[Larry Cochell]], resigned after making racially insensitive remarks about one of the players on the team.

During the 2005–2006 season, the Sooners were given a home regional at L. Dale Mitchell Park and were named the No. 1 seed. They beat the [[University of Houston]], [[Texas Christian University]], and [[Wichita State University]] to win the regional and advanced to a Super Regional where they were defeated by [[Rice University]] in a best-of-three series. [[Oregon State University]] went on to win the [[College World Series]] that year.

Prior to 2006, the Sooners hosted regionals at minor league parks in Oklahoma City, first [[All Sports Stadium]] and then [[AT&T Bricktown Ballpark]]. Scheduling conflicts with the [[Oklahoma Redhawks]], the Class AAA affiliate of the [[Houston Astros]], led OU to bid for future regionals at its on-campus stadium.

===Men's basketball===
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2024}}
{{main|Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball}}
{{see also|List of Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball seasons}}

The men's [[college basketball|basketball]] team is highly successful and rose to national prominence since the early 80s with head coach [[Billy Tubbs]] and three time All-American power forward [[Wayman Tisdale]]. It currently plays in the [[Lloyd Noble Center]], which came to be known as the house [[Alvan Adams]] built and Tisdale filled. While the team has never won a national championship, it ranks second in most tournament wins without a championship behind [[Illinois Fighting Illini|Illinois]]. The team played in the 1988 national championship game but lost to [[Kansas Jayhawks|Kansas]], despite having beaten the Jayhawks twice earlier in the season. The program has won a combined twenty regular-season and tournament conference championships.

The Sooners headed into the 2005–06 season ranked No. 5 in the AP preseason poll, led by [[Taj Gray]], [[Kevin Bookout]], [[Terrell Everett]], and David Godbold, but had a disappointing early season. After the emergence of Michael Neal  as a potential star, the Sooners salvaged a No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Conference Tournament but lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

On March 29, 2006, [[Kelvin Sampson]] left the University of Oklahoma to become the head basketball coach at [[Indiana University Bloomington|Indiana University]]. 13 days later, on April 11, 2006, Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione named [[Jeff Capel III]] the new head coach. Capel encountered trouble in his first few months as several players who had been recruited by Sampson backed out of their commitments. Also, under Sampson's watch, Oklahoma was placed under a three-year investigation by the NCAA for recruiting violations. At the end of their investigation, the NCAA issued a report citing more than 550 illegal calls made by Sampson and his staff to 17 different recruits. The NCAA barred Sampson from recruiting off campus and making phone calls for one year, ending May 24, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2457878|title=Sampson barred from off-campus recruiting|date=May 25, 2006|access-date=February 22, 2008}}</ref> The Sooners looked to continue a streak of 12 consecutive postseason tournament appearances in 2006–2007, but were disappointed when they did not receive a bid for either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.

In the 2009 NBA draft, the Sooners produced the No. 1 overall draft selection [[Blake Griffin]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2009 NBA Draft |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2009.html |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Women's basketball===
{{main|Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball}}

OU women's basketball began during the 1974–75 academic year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Women's Basketball Set For Thanksgiving Throwdown With Princeton |url=https://soonersports.com/news/2023/11/22/womens-basketball-set-for-thanksgiving-throwdown-with-princeton |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=University of Oklahoma |language=en}}</ref> It wasn't until 1996 when OU hired local high school basketball coach, [[Sherri Coale]], that the team became something Sooners would be proud of. Due to low attendance, a statement was released in March 1990 that the program would be cut, but it was reinstated eight days later after fan response.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leonard |first=Karoline |date=2022-06-23 |title='I wanted to do it for all the women that weren't able to': How Title IX changed the lives of OU community members |url=https://www.oudaily.com/news/i-wanted-to-do-it-for-all-the-women-that-werent-able-to-how-title/article_f9feae88-f311-11ec-8c26-efda2fd051c9.html |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=OU Daily |language=en}}</ref> In that season, the team drew an average of 65 people per game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Murray |title=OU Axes Women's Basketball |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1990/03/29/ou-axes-womens-basketball/62570545007/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}</ref> Now the Sooners are one of the nation's leaders in attendance. In 2002, Oklahoma advanced to the National Title game before losing to the [[Connecticut Huskies]]. The Sooners won seven Big 12 titles in the 2000s and became a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Final Four in 2009 and 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2002 Women's NCAA Tournament Summary |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/women/2002-ncaa.html |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Women's volleyball===
{{main|Oklahoma Sooners women's volleyball}}

===Men's golf===
The men's golf team has won 19 conference championships:
*[[Big Eight Conference|Big Six/Seven/Eight Conference]] (15): 1935, 1936, 1938, 1941, 1946–48, 1951–52, 1955–57, 1989, 1992, 1996 (co-champions in 1947 and 1955)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bigeightsports.com/Sports/MensGolf/MensGolfChampionships.htm |title=Big Eight Conference Men's Golf Championship History |access-date=June 21, 2013}}</ref>
*[[Big 12 Conference]] (4): 2006, 2018, 2022, 2023<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.big12sports.com/fls/10410/pdfs/golf/mens_record_book.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=10410 |title=Big 12 Record Book – Men's Golf |access-date=June 21, 2013}}</ref>

The Sooners won the [[NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship|NCAA Championship]] in 1989 and 2017. OU has also crowned two individual national champions: Walter Emery in 1933 and Jim Vickers in 1952.

Several Sooners have had successful amateur and professional careers after college: [[Charles Coe]] (1949 and 1958 [[U.S. Amateur]] winner), [[Glen Day]] (one [[PGA Tour]] win), [[Todd Hamilton]] (two PGA Tour wins including [[2004 Open Championship]]), [[Anthony Kim]] (three PGA Tour wins), [[Andrew Magee]] (four PGA Tour wins), [[Craig Perks]] (one PGA Tour win), [[Greg Turner]] (four [[European Tour]] wins), [[Grant Waite]] (one PGA Tour win) and [[Abraham Ancer]] (winner of [[Emirates Australian Open|2018 Emirates Australian Open]]).

===Men's gymnastics===
{{main|Oklahoma Sooners men's gymnastics}}
[[File:UO men's gymnastics at the WH.jpg|thumb|The 2008 Sooners men's gymnastics team, including 2008 [[Nissen-Emery Award]] winner [[Jonathan Horton]], are honored at the [[White House]] by President of the United States [[George W. Bush]] upon the team's winning the 2008 [[NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships|national championship]].]]

The men's gymnastics program at OU is headed by coach Mark Williams. It has won twelve [[NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships]], which is tied with [[Penn State Nittany Lions men's gymnastics|Penn State]] for most all time. Their 12 championships include five in a span of seven years in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008 (they finished second behind [[Penn State]] in 2004 and 2007).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Men's Gymnastics Year in Review |url=https://soonersports.com/news/2006/4/28/208404080 |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=University of Oklahoma |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Men's Gymnastics Season in Review |url=https://soonersports.com/news/2007/5/15/208394471 |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=University of Oklahoma |language=en}}</ref> They won the 2006 title with very little experience on the team as 50% of the members were freshmen and just 21% were upperclassmen (seven freshmen, four sophomores, one junior, and two seniors).<ref name=":0" /> Teams from OU also won national championships in 1977, 1978, 1991, and became the third program in history to win four consecutive championships when they won in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dynasty: OU Wins Fourth Straight NCAA Title |url=https://soonersports.com/news/2018/4/21/211712477 |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=University of Oklahoma |language=en}}</ref> In 2015, the Sooners broke the NCAA scoring record in a dual meet against Michigan scoring 456.4 points and then broke their own record two weeks later against Illinois scoring 457.3 points.

Gymnastics began at the school in 1902. The program folded in 1917 when the original coach left. The program was revived in 1965 with the new coach, Russ Porterfield having to beg students to join the squad. Within 6 years, OU had its first winning season. OU's next coach, [[Paul Ziert]], turned the program into one of national prominence. He led OU to two national championships in 1977 and 1978. One of Ziert's athletes, Greg Buwick, would replace him as head coach in 1980 and would lead the team to its third national title in 1991. Buwick's assistant of 12 years, Mark Williams, took over the head coaching position in 2000 and has led the Sooners to six national championships, thirteen conference titles, several individual champions, and even more All-Americans. OU has produced more [[Nissen Award]] winners than any other university and is the only school to have back-to-back Nissen Award winners.<ref>SoonerSports.com [http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-gym/spec-rel/nissen-emery.html Seven Nissen Emery Award Winners] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812141111/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-gym/spec-rel/nissen-emery.html |date=August 12, 2007}}. [[University of Oklahoma]]. Retrieved on August 21, 2007.</ref>

===Women's gymnastics===
{{main|Oklahoma Sooners women's gymnastics}}

The women's gymnastics program is headed by [[K. J. Kindler]]. The Sooners have won 14 Big 12 conference titles, 8 regional championships, and seven <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/33751269/oklahoma-sooners-come-capture-fifth-ncaa-women-gymnastics-title|title = Oklahoma captures 5th women's gymnastics title|date = April 16, 2022}}</ref> national championship titles (2014, a co-championship with Florida and in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2025). The Sooners have also won seven individual titles in their history, with Kelly Garrison (all-around in 1987; all-around, bars and beam in 1988), Taylor Spears (beam in 2014), Nicole Lehrmann (bars in 2017), and Maggie Nichols (bars in 2017) claiming honors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=211560624|title=Lehrmann, Nichols Win Individual NCAA Titles|website=soonersports.com|access-date=March 25, 2018}}</ref>

===Women's rowing===
On May 10, 2007, the University announced the addition of women's rowing to the intercollegiate athletics program started by well-respected rower Candie Garrett.<ref name="rowing">{{cite news |title=OU Athletics Adds Women's Rowing|publisher=The University of Oklahoma Department of Intercollegiate Athletics|access-date=August 21, 2007|url=http://alumni.ou.edu/news/news4.html |date=May 10, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809095849/http://alumni.ou.edu/news/news4.html|archive-date=August 9, 2007}}</ref> The University hired head coach Leeanne Crain in the spring of 2008. Assistant Coaches Kris Muhl and Andrew Derrick followed Crain from the University of Central Florida to jumpstart OU's program. Muhl took a head coaching position at Jacksonville University during summer 2009. Former UVA rower and Alabama Novice coach Marina Traub was hired as the varsity assistant coach in Fall 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soonersports.com/sports/w-rowing/spec-rel/082109aad.html |title=Traub Named Asst. Rowing Coach SoonerSports.com - Official Site of the Oklahoma Sooners - Traub Named Asst. Rowing Coach |website=www.soonersports.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090823221043/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/w-rowing/spec-rel/082109aad.html |archive-date=2009-08-23}}</ref>

The University of Oklahoma women's rowing team practices in the Oklahoma City River (formerly the Canadian River), located in the Bricktown area of Oklahoma City. The river was designated as a U.S. Olympic Training Center for the sports of kayaking, canoeing, and rowing on July 28, 2009. The University's boathouse was completed in 2011.

===Women's soccer===
{{main|Oklahoma Sooners women's soccer}}

The women's soccer home ground is John Crain Field in the OU Soccer Complex.

{{As of|2021}} the head coach is Mark Carr, a graduate of [[Bournemouth University]], who was formerly head coach of the [[United States women's national under-20 soccer team]].<ref>[https://soonersports.com/sports/soccer Soccer] soonersports.com</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://soonersports.com/documents/2019/10/2/2019_OU_Women_s_Soccer_Media_Guide.pdf|title=2019 OU Women's Soccer Media Guide (PDF)|website=University of Oklahoma}}</ref>

=== Softball ===
{{main|Oklahoma Sooners softball}}

The OU softball program qualified four times for the [[Women's College World Series|AIAW WCWS]] (1975, 1980, 1981, 1982) and 16 times for the [[Women's College World Series|Women's College World Series (Division I)]] (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023).<ref name="Plummer">{{cite book|title=A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series|first1=William|last1=Plummer|first2=Larry C.|last2=Floyd|year=2013|publisher= Turnkey Communications Inc.|location= Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States|isbn=978-0-9893007-0-4}}</ref>

In October 1994, OU hired [[Patty Gasso]] as the fifth head coach in program history. In 29 years, she has built OU into one of the premier collegiate softball programs in the nation. Within her first five seasons in Norman, Gasso led the Sooners to the final Big Eight championship (1995) and 15  Big 12 titles (1996, 1999, 2000, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023).

In 2000, Oklahoma won its first [[2000 NCAA Division I softball tournament|Women's College World Series]] title by defeating perennial power UCLA. It marked the first national championship by a women's athletics program in school history. OU rolled through the 2013 season en route to its second [[2013 NCAA Division I softball tournament|WCWS]] title. The 2016 Sooners won the program's third national title while starting four sophomores and four freshmen. Despite entering the [[2017 NCAA Division I softball tournament|2017 postseason tournament]] as a No. 10 national seed, OU won its second consecutive WCWS title and fourth overall. Game One of the WCWS champion series featured a 17-inning thriller in which the Sooners defeated Florida 7-5. The 2021 [[2021 NCAA Division I softball tournament|WCWS]] saw OU drop its opener to James Madison before rebounding to earn a spot in the championship series against Florida State. The Sooners defeated the Seminoles in three games to win the program's fifth national title.

=== Men's and women's track and field ===
The men's and women's outdoor track and field teams host meets at the John Jacobs Track and Field Complex. The men's and women's indoor track and field teams host meets at the Mosier Indoor Track Facility.

===Wrestling===
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2010}}
[[File:OU FieldHouse.jpg|thumb|McCasland Field House, home of OU's volleyball and wrestling teams.]]
[[File:OU Athletic Facilities.jpg|thumb|300px|Several of the main athletic facilities at the Norman campus]]
The Sooner wrestling program was established in 1920 and is the fourth most decorated in college wrestling, having won seven [[NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships|NCAA national championships]] in 1936, 1951, 1952, 1957, 1960, 1963 and 1974. The Sooners are considered a power in their own right and [[Bedlam Series|Bedlam]] matches draw big home crowds, with the Howard [[McCasland Field House]] being the home for Sooner Wrestling. There are numerous All-Americans and National Champions that have wrestled for the Oklahoma Sooners. Mark Cody was head coach of the program for five years before his resignation in 2016. During his time, Cody coached the Sooners to 10th in 2014. Under Cody, the Sooners had ten All-Americans and two national champions (Kendric Maple and Cody Brewer). [[Roger Kish]] took over as head coach in May 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raser |first=Louis |date=2023-05-02 |title=OU wrestling hires North Dakota State's Roger Kish as head coach |url=https://www.oudaily.com/sports/ou-wrestling-sooners-hire-north-dakota-state-roger-kish-as-head-coach/article_d7623602-e93c-11ed-b493-c7d01e41aa14.html |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=OU Daily |language=en}}</ref>

'''Notable Oklahoma Sooner wrestlers include''':
* [[Melvin Douglas (wrestler)|Melvin Douglas]] – 2-time NCAA Champion, World Champion, and 8 time U.S. National Champion in [[freestyle wrestling]]
* Tommy Evans – 2-time NCAA Champion and 2-time NCAA Outstanding Wrestler
* [[Jared Frayer]] – 2-time NCAA All-American and National Finalist, competed at [[2012 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Danny Hodge|Dan Hodge]] – 3-time NCAA Champion, 2-time Outstanding Wrestler, and namesake of [[Dan Hodge Trophy]] award which is awarded to America's best [[collegiate wrestling|college wrestler]]
* Mickey Martin – 3-time NCAA Champion and NCAA Outstanding Wrestler
* [[Dave Schultz (amateur wrestler)|Dave Schultz]] – NCAA, World and Olympic Champion 
* [[Mark Schultz (wrestler)|Mark Schultz]] – 3-time NCAA Champion, NCAA Outstanding Wrestler, 2-time World Champion and Olympic Champion
* [[Wayne Wells]] – NCAA, World and Olympic Champion

'''Oklahoma Sooner Wrestling team accomplishments''': 
* 23 Conference Titles
* 263 All-Americans
* 65 individual NCAA Champions
* 7 NCAA Championships: [[1936 NCAA Wrestling Championships|1936]], 1951, 1952, 1957, 1960, 1963 and 1974<ref>{{cite web|title=UO Wrestling|url=http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=208803429|publisher=University of Oklahoma Athletics|access-date=2014-01-01}}</ref>

==Notable non-varsity sports==

===Rugby===
Oklahoma plays [[college rugby]] in the [[Allied Rugby Conference]] of Division 1A. Oklahoma has participated several times in the [[Collegiate Rugby Championship]] (CRC), often matching up against rival [[Texas Longhorns|Texas]]. The CRC, held every year at [[PPL Park]] in Philadelphia, is the highest profile [[college rugby]] competition in the US, and is broadcast live on NBC each year.

The Oklahoma University Rugby Football Club was established in 1974. OU Rugby has experienced success since its founding, including an undefeated record in the 1983–1984 season, and reached the national quarter-finals five times from 1980 to 1990.<ref name="rugbyou.wordpress.com">Oklahoma Rugby, https://rugbyou.wordpress.com/history/</ref> The early 2000s saw Oklahoma return to its winning ways, winning the Big 12 Rugby Tournament four times. The captain of that squad, All American [[Tyson Meek]], played for the [[United States national rugby sevens team|US national rugby team]], and went on to become OU's first professional rugby player.<ref name="rugbyou.wordpress.com"/> Oklahoma finished the 2005 season with a 19–1 record.

===Men's Ice Hockey===
Oklahoma began playing ice hockey in 2003 and currently plays Division 1 [[college hockey]] through the [[American Collegiate Hockey Association]] (ACHA) as a founding member of the [[Western Collegiate Hockey League]].

The Sooners maintain annual rivalries with the [[Central Oklahoma Bronchos|University of Central Oklahoma]] and  [[Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls|Oklahoma State University]].

Oklahoma has participated several times in the ACHA National Tournament. In 2013, the Sooners climbed to the country's No. 2 ranking before eventually suffering an overtime loss in the national semifinals.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://soonermag.oufoundation.org/stories/sooners-on-ice | title=Sooners on Ice | date=March 7, 2017 }}</ref>

==Rivalries==
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2024}}

===Nebraska Cornhuskers===
{{see also|Nebraska–Oklahoma football rivalry}}

A traditional college football rivalry with the [[Nebraska Cornhuskers]] was much less intense during the Big 12 years than it was in the Big 8 era. This was mainly due to the split-division nature of the Big 12 that only allowed the teams to play each other twice every four years. Prior to this, these teams were involved in several historic match-ups, including the [[Game of the Century (college football)#1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma|Game of the Century]] and the so-called Game of the New Century where the teams have come into the game ranked one and two in the [[Associated Press]] poll, making the games of great importance in deciding the national championship. Historically, the rivalry's most distinguishing quality has been the grudging respect and appreciation between the two tradition-rich programs. Also of note is the game's former status as the premier [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving Day]] game for the middle of the country. The [[Oklahoma Sooners football|Sooners]] and [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Cornhuskers]] went head-to-head in the [[2006 Big 12 Championship Game]], with Oklahoma winning the conference title by the score of 21–7. The two teams also met in the [[2010 Big 12 Championship Game]], with Oklahoma again the victor in a close game by a score of 23–20. This turned out to be the final conference meeting between the two teams, as Nebraska departed for the Big Ten Conference the following season.

===Oklahoma State Cowboys===
{{Main|Bedlam Series}}

Oklahoma's shares an intrastate rivalry with the [[Oklahoma State Cowboys]] and is often referred to as the "[[Bedlam Series]]." It is normally played as a home-and-home series with games alternating between [[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]] and [[Stillwater, Oklahoma|Stillwater]], with the exception of the baseball teams, who often play at [[Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark]] in [[Oklahoma City]] or [[ONEOK Field]] in [[Tulsa]]. Oklahoma currently leads the series 86–18–7 in football, and 125-88 in basketball<ref>[[Bedlam Series]]</ref> In baseball the series is tied at 147–147, and in wrestling Oklahoma trails the series 27–128–9.

===Texas Longhorns===
{{see also|Red River Showdown}}
[[File:OUSouthOvalBeatTexas.jpg|thumb|220px|Reminder for OU students of rivalry with the dates of every game for the past 20 years. With construction of a new pedestrian mall, this painting was replicated outside Nielsen Hall close to the clock tower in front of Bizzell Library. Until May 2006, it was located at the South Oval.]]

The [[Texas Longhorns]] are one rival of the Sooners. Regardless of the trademark implications, inverted versions of the [[Texas Longhorn|Longhorn]] mascot can be seen on automobiles all over the Norman campus, and many T-shirts referring to the rivalry present the word "Texas" in mirror image, upside-down, or possibly surrounded by obscenities. A reminder of the rivalry shared by these two schools was painted on the South Oval of the OU campus for many years, and was recently replicated near the Library clock tower due to construction at its original site.

The annual game between the schools at the [[Cotton Bowl (stadium)|Cotton Bowl]] in [[Dallas]], Texas, known as the [[Red River Showdown]], is a game that draws attention from all around the college football world.

==Traditions==
The "fight song" of the University of Oklahoma is "[[Boomer Sooner]]", a version of "Boola Boola", the fight song of [[Yale University]], combined with a version of "[[I'm a Tar Heel Born]]", the fight song of the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]]. "Boomer Sooner" was written by Arthur M. Alden in 1905. Other songs played at athletic events by [[The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band]] are a version of [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]]'s "[[Oklahoma (state song)|Oklahoma!]]", "OK Oklahoma", played after extra points, and the "[[OU Chant]]." At home games, The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band plays that visiting team's "fight song" while facing their fans.

The Mascot present at all football games is the [[Sooner Schooner]], a [[Conestoga wagon]], pulled by two crème white ponies, Boomer and Sooner. The caretakers of the wagon are the spirit group called the [[RUF/NEKS]], who shoot off modified shotguns in celebration of scores by the home team. The group was launched in 1915 when an elderly female spectator at an OU-Oklahoma A&M basketball game chided the group for raising hell ("Sit down and be quiet, you roughnecks!")<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040910075042/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/sioncampus/09/09/road_trip0909/ Road Trip: University of Oklahoma]. Sports Illustrated: On Campus. September 9, 2004.</ref>

Recently, in time for the 2005 football season, two new mascots, based on the ponies who pull the Schooner, were created, named appropriately, [[Boomer and Sooner]]. They are costumes of two identical (except for eye color) crème white ponies. Before, the Boomer and Sooner costume mascots, OU was also represented by Top Dawg. Top Dawg did some appearances at football games, but was primarily used at wrestling and basketball events.

The official school colors are Crimson and Cream, with red and white sometimes used as substitutes for simplicity.<ref>{{cite web|title=Crimson & Cream |url=http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208806140|publisher=Oklahoma Sooners|access-date=June 19, 2016}}</ref> The school logo is an interlocking OU design.<ref>{{cite web |title=Athletics Marks|url=https://www.ou.edu/content/brand/logos_trademarks/athleticsmarks.html|publisher=University of Oklahoma|work=University of Oklahoma Brand Guide|access-date=June 19, 2016}}</ref> A stylized version was used from the 1970s through the 2000s, though the traditional version remained on the football team's helmets during this time.

==Championships==
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2024}}
===National Team Championships===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" style="{{NCAA color cell|Oklahoma Sooners}}"|National Championships (45)
|-
! colspan="4" style="{{NCAA color cell|Oklahoma Sooners}}"|Men's (30)
|-
! scope="col"|Sport
! scope="col"|Year
! scope="col"|Head coach
! scope="col"|Overall record
|-
| rowspan="2"|Baseball
| style="text-align: center;"|1951
| style="text-align: center;"|Jack Baer
| style="text-align: center;"|16–9
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1994
| style="text-align: center;"|Larry Cochell
| style="text-align: center;"|50–17
|-
| rowspan="7"|Football
| style="text-align: center;"|1950
| rowspan="3" style="text-align: center;"|Bud Wilkinson
| style="text-align: center;"|10–1
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1955
| style="text-align: center;"|11–0
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1956
| style="text-align: center;"|10–0
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1974
| rowspan="3" style="text-align: center;"|Barry Switzer
| style="text-align: center;"|11–0
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1975
| style="text-align: center;"|11–1
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1985
| style="text-align: center;"|11–1
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2000
| style="text-align: center;"| Bob Stoops
| style="text-align: center;"|13–0
|-
|rowspan="2"|Golf
| style="text-align: center;"|1989
| style="text-align: center;"|Gregg Grost
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2017
| style="text-align: center;"|Ryan Hybl
|
|-
| rowspan="12"|Gymnastics
| style="text-align: center;"|1977
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|Paul Ziert
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1978
| style="text-align: center;"|10–1
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1991
| style="text-align: center;"|Greg Buwick
| style="text-align: center;"|15–1
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2002
| rowspan="9" style="text-align: center;"|Mark Williams
| style="text-align: center;"|28–1
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2003
| style="text-align: center;"|26–0
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2005
| style="text-align: center;"|21–2
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2006
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2008
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2015
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2016
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2017
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2018
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| rowspan="7"|Wrestling
| style="text-align: center;"|1936
| style="text-align: center;"| Paul V. Keen
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1951
| rowspan="3" style="text-align: center;"|Port Robertson
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1952
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1957
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1960
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|Tommy Evans
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1963
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|1974
| style="text-align: center;"| Stan Abel
| style="text-align: center;"|
|-
! colspan="4" style="{{NCAA color cell|Oklahoma Sooners}}"|Women's (15)
|-
| rowspan="7”|Gymnastics
| style="text-align: center;"|2014
| rowspan="7” style="text-align: center;"|[[K. J. Kindler]] 
| style="text-align: center;"|31–2–1
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|2016
|style="text-align: center;"|38–1
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|2017
|style="text-align: center;"|33–0
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|2019 
|style="text-align: center;"|32–0
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|2022 
|style="text-align: center;"|31–2
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|2023 
|style="text-align: center;”|28–2
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|2025
|style="text-align: center;"|33-2
|-
| rowspan="8"|Softball
| style="text-align: center;"|2000
| rowspan="8" style="text-align: center;"|Patty Gasso
| style="text-align: center;"|66–8
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2013
| style="text-align: center;"|57–4
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2016
| style="text-align: center;"|57–7
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2017
| style="text-align: center;"|61–9
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2021
| style="text-align: center;"|56–4
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2022
| style="text-align: center;"|59–3
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2023
| style="text-align: center;"|61–1
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|2024
|style="text-align: center;"|59–7
|}

==SoonerSports.TV==
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'''SoonerSports.tv''' was a streaming network and [[programming block]] founded in 2012 to carry University of Oklahoma sports programming. The network was operated by [[Bally Sports]] and the University of Oklahoma. SoonerSports.tv focused solely on University of Oklahoma athletics. The network carries live sporting events, game replays, coaches shows, vignettes and historical pieces. The live sports that aired on the network included one football game through [[pay per view]], one men's basketball game, and select games from baseball, softball, volleyball, wrestling, soccer, and men’s and women’s gymnastics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1331988-oklahoma-and-fox-sports-announce-agreement-for-sooner-sports-tv|title = Oklahoma and Fox Sports Announce Agreement for Sooner Sports TV|website = [[Bleacher Report]]}}</ref>

Select men's and women's basketball games, select softball, and select baseball games, were also distributed to the regional [[Bally Sports]] networks and their affiliates as part of the programming block.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/2020/02/13/television-details-announced-for-oklahoma-softballs-season/|title = Television details announced for Oklahoma softball's season|date = February 13, 2020}}</ref>

The network was created in 2012 as part of an agreement with the [[Fox Sports Networks]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com/southwest/story/oklahoma-fox-announce-partnership-091212|title = Oklahoma, FOX announce partnership|date = September 12, 2012}}</ref> In 2021, following the re branding of the Fox Sports Networks to Bally Sports, Bally Sports took over operation. On May 5, 2022 it was announced that SoonerSports.TV will be ending and will be rebrand as Soonervision on ESPN+ under a multi-year deal with ESPN. .<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://soonersports.com/news/2022/5/5/athletics-espn-and-the-university-of-oklahoma-announce-multi-year-soonervision-on-espn-agreement.aspx|title =ESPN+ AND OU ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR 'SOONERVISION ON ESPN+' AGREEMENT|date = May 5, 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons cat}}
* {{Official website}}

{{University of Oklahoma}}
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|titlestyle = {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Oklahoma Sooners|color=white|border=0}}
|list =
{{Southeastern Conference navbox}}
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}}
[[Category:Oklahoma Sooners| ]]