NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) – The University of Oklahoma announced Tuesday that OU's season opener against Temple II will be moved up one day to ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, ๐๐๐ด. ๐ฏ๐ฌ โ According to Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione, this will be the first Friday night home game in the stadiumโs history.
Kickoff for the contest will be at 6:00 PM PT, and the game will be televised by ESPN.
“We were asked to consider moving the season opener a day earlier so that ESPN could air our first game as an SEC affiliate in a prime time slot,” Castiglione said. “This is a unique and exciting opportunity for us as it will be the first Friday night game at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in the history of the Gaylord Family and will give our team significant national recognition. Another big advantage is that players and fans can benefit from cooler temperatures when kicking times are taken into account. Playing in the evening avoids the heat typically faced in early season day games. It's natural to hope that some of the problems will be significantly alleviated. Our first Friday Night Lights will definitely be in the books, and it's a great way to continue the season. I'm excited to begin my first year in the SEC.”
โWe recognize that this schedule change will impact some fansโ travel plans. We are asking hotels to work closely with those people,โ Castiglione said.
The Sooners, who will officially join the SEC on July 1, have a record of 60-19-2 (.753) entering Friday games (including 2-4 in bowl games), but have not been regulars on Friday nights. He has only played five season contests. All on the road, all in victory.
Oklahoma enters third season under head coach Brent VenablesAccording to the Sooners, they have won their 18th straight home opener.
