OU, Army to play series in 2018, 2020
BY Staff Reports
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
8/04/09 at 10:44 AM
Oklahoma and Army have signed an agreement to begin a two-game football series in 2018. OU and the United States Military Academy made the joint announcement Tuesday.
The Sooners will host the Black Knights on Sept. 22, 2018, then travel to West Point, N.Y., to return the game on Sept. 26, 2020.
“Naturally, we’re thrilled to announce this agreement with Army,” said OU athletic director Joe Castiglione. “We have tremendous respect for what the Academy represents and will be privileged to share the football field with its team.
“We also recognize the large number of military personnel serving in the general vicinity of Norman and we hope that this series intrigues and excites them just as it does us. And, of course, on the return game, we will be very near New York City, which provides very good East Coast exposure for our program and university.”
The games will represent the fourth and fifth between the two institutions, who have not met since 1961. OU leads the series, 2-1.
The two first played on Sept. 28, 1946, when defending national champion Army overpowered a surprisingly strong Sooner team under first-year head coach Jim Tatum, 21-7, at West Point.
The next bout took place in Norman on Nov. 14, 1959, when Bud Wilkinson’s Oklahoma team scored a 28-20 victory. Another Wilkinson team prevailed over Army at Yankee Stadium in New York City, 14-8, on Nov. 18, 1961.
Oklahoma is 3-2 overall against the service academies with a 1-0 mark against Air Force and an 0-1 record against Navy.
Air Force will play at Norman on Sept. 18, 2010.
OU’s future schedules include games against several high-profile opponents. Games already on the Sooners’ future slates include: at Miami (2009), Florida State (2010), at Florida State (2011), Notre Dame (2012), at Notre Dame (2013), Tennessee (2014), at Tennessee (2015), Ohio State (2016), at Ohio State (2017) and LSU in 2018 and 2019.
Under Bob Stoops, Oklahoma has played Louisville, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Alabama (twice), UCLA (twice), Oregon (twice), Washington (twice), South Florida and Miami (Fla.) in regular season contests.
Associated Images:
OU has played several marquee teams during coach Bob Stoops' tenure. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
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