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Bob Stoops on Oklahoma's SEC move: 'I strongly believe that we're built for this'

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•07/02/24•

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Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops
© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Monday marked a beginning of a new chapter for Oklahoma athletics. Three years after news broke of their plans to do so, the Sooners officially moved to the SEC – a day that featured plenty of fanfare.

OU has seen plenty of changes since that initial report came down in 2021, notably with Brent Venables now in as head football coach. While his first year was up-and-down, the Sooners finished with 10 wins last year and are preparing for a new look on offense with Jackson Arnold in at quarterback and Seth Littrell bringing his Air Raid-style offense to Norman.

Add in some impressive talent back on defense, and Bob Stoops thinks Venables has Oklahoma in a strong position as it gets ready for its next chapter. That’s why he thinks the Sooners are ready to take on the SEC.

“I strongly believe that we’re built for this,” Stoops told Peter Burns and Chris Doering on SXM College. “You start looking at our tradition in history – regardless, through the years – we’re up there with about anybody, definitely. You can look it up. I’ve got great confidence in Brent and his whole coaching staff. I think he’ll bring a really hard-nosed, tough attitude, which you’ve got to have in that league. I really believe he’s already building our line of scrimmage. We lost a lot of guys on the offensive line, but still rebuild it. We’ve probably got the best o-line coach in the country in Bill Bedenbaugh.

“And Brent’s doing a great job defensively. We’ve already got a lot of great guys up front that you need. Big, inside d-linemen, outside rush guys. They’re really building that roster, really, in the way they need to to compete in the SEC.”

Of course, OU and Texas aren’t the only schools who joined their new conference on Monday. In the Big Ten, four programs – Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington – all officially became new members. Four other former Pac-12 teams joined the Big 12 when Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah came aboard, and the ACC added Stanford, Cal and SMU to round it out.

It was a historic round of conference realignment, and it’s now reality. Some fun matchups are also on the way as a result, and that’s why Bob Stoops said he’s ready to see not only how Oklahoma and Texas handle the SEC, but what else happens around the country.

“It’s gonna be exciting,” Stoops said. “Can you imagine this year, us and Texas in the SEC and all these games? As well as, can’t wait to see the Big Ten and what that’s gonna look like. So anyhow, it’s gonna be a fun and exciting year, definitely.”