Oklahoma, Nebraska to renew football series in 2021, 2022
BY ERIC BAILEY World Sports Writer
Thursday, November 29, 2012
11/29/12 at 4:32 PM
NORMAN — Oklahoma’s focus of landing tradition-rich powers on future football schedules continued with the news of a home-and-home series with Nebraska.
The Sooners’ games with Nebraska includes a home contest in 2021 and a road trip in 2022, both schools simultaneously announced on Thursday. Oklahoma also has a scheduled game at Notre Dame (2013) and home-and-home dates with Tennessee (2014-15), Ohio State (2016-17) and LSU (2018-19).
Nebraska may be the crown jewel of upcoming opponents because the two schools have produced plenty of history. The programs met every year between 1928-97 until the new Big 12 Conference planted the rivals in different divisions, resulting in only two games again each other in a four-year span. In 2011, the Huskers joined the Big Ten Conference, severing the series.
“Classic rivalries like Oklahoma-Nebraska are part of college football’s historic fabric,” OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said in a statement. “The ability to rekindle a fabled series between two tradition-rich programs and two extremely loyal and passionate fan bases was very important to both universities.”
The schools have been opponents in the Big Six, Big Seven, Big Eight and Big 12 conferences and have met 86 times. Oklahoma leads the all-time series 45-38-3.
Nebraska will come to Norman on Sept. 18, 2021. The Sooners will return the game on Sept. 17, 2022.
“Our rivalry with Oklahoma has been one of the great traditional matchups in the history of college football,” Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne said. “The games between the two schools were generally to decide a conference championship, and many times helped determine the national champion. Those matchups were always played with great intensity on the field, but with a great deal of respect from both sides and among the fan bases.”
The 2021 game in Norman will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1971 “Game of the Century.” Top-ranked Nebraska defeated No. 2 Oklahoma 35-31 in Norman en route to a second straight national championship.
The teams last played in the 2010 Big 12 Championship game, when the Sooners overcame an early 17-point deficit to win 23-20. Oklahoma has won six of its past eight meetings with Nebraska.
OU has focused its scheduling strategy on playing “name” opponents under Bob Stoops in nonconference play. The Sooners have faced Notre Dame (2012), Florida State (2010-11), Miami, Fla. (2009) and BYU (2009) during the past four seasons. There have also been home-and-home series with Alabama, Oregon and UCLA in the past decade.
“Playing marquee non-conference opponents remains an integral part of our scheduling philosophy,” Castiglione said.
“Games like Oklahoma-Nebraska embody all the qualities that make regular season Saturdays in college football matter to so many.”
Associated Images:
In this 2010 file photo, OU quarterback Landry Jones runs by Nebraska's Jared Crick in the Big 12 Championship game in Dallas. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World File
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