Mike Gundy calls ending of Bedlam rivalry a 'one-sided deal'

When Oklahoma leaves the Big 12 for the SEC ahead of the 2024 football season, an age-old rivalry will leave with it: the Bedlam Game. And as Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy sees it, the blame for the contemporary end of the rivalry falls solely on the shoulders of the school bailing.

Oklahoma State has no designs on leaving the league or upsetting the apple cart in any way, Gundy said at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday. Oklahoma decided to leave the league on their own and had to understand the ramifications of the decision, Gundy said to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.

“When Oklahoma decided to leave the Big 12 they chose to end Bedlam. It’s a one-sided deal. People were 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 with it,” Gundy said.

As for getting it back on the schedule as a non-conference game, Gundy was skeptical. The SEC could potentially go to a nine-game conference schedule, further limiting Oklahoma’s out-of-conference scheduling possibilities.

And with Oklahoma State locked in with non-conference games for more than a decade, there’s not a ton of space to try and shoehorn a game in.

“The SEC eventually will go to a nine-game schedule, I’m sure Oklahoma has a Power 5 team they’re playing every year. We would have a difficult time matching up with them in non-conference,” Gundy said. “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.”

The seeming end of Bedlam will make the 2023 game must-see TV

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State play the last game, for now, in the Bedlam Game once the Sooners head to the SEC in 2024.

But ESPN’s Greg McElroy added the Week 10 matchup to his ultimate 2023 college football schedule. Basically, the games you have to watch this season.

He broke down why on the “Always College Football” podcast.

“There’s a few options here that we could have picked, could have picked LSU at Alabama, we’ve already been to Tuscaloosa. Could have picked Notre Dame at Clemson, we’ve already picked Clemson. So what we haven’t picked is Stillwater, Oklahoma. We’re going to Oklahoma at Oklahoma State in Week 10,” McElroy said. “Why? It’s the last game of Bedlam. Oklahoma is en route to the SEC. Oklahoma State’s really ticked off about it.

“If you don’t think that game is going to be as chaotic and as difficult of a road environment as Oklahoma will face all year, I think you’re crazy.”