By state
Oklahoma teams
Two programs, one long-running in-state rivalry, and a split across two conferences that has changed what that rivalry means.
Programs
Football in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Bedlam, and what changed
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have met for more than a century in a series known as Bedlam. For most of that history the two shared a conference, which guaranteed an annual meeting with standings attached.
That changed when Oklahoma left the Big 12 for the SEC alongside Texas, while Oklahoma State remained. The programs no longer meet automatically every year, which is the clearest example of what conference realignment has cost the sport in regional rivalries.
Oklahoma
Two different jobs
The two programs now operate on different terms. Oklahoma recruits nationally and is measured against SEC contenders every week. Oklahoma State's path runs through the Big 12, where the schedule is less punishing but the margin for error in a conference race is just as thin.
Both still recruit the same state, and in-state commitments are contested as sharply as ever even without the annual fixture to settle anything.
Leagues
Conferences represented
FAQ
Oklahoma football questions
Which college football teams are in Oklahoma?
Two are covered here: the Oklahoma Sooners in the SEC, based in Norman, and the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Big 12, based in Stillwater.
Is the Bedlam rivalry still played every year?
Not automatically. Oklahoma's move to the SEC while Oklahoma State stayed in the Big 12 ended the guaranteed annual meeting that conference membership used to provide.
Why did Oklahoma leave the Big 12?
Oklahoma moved to the SEC alongside Texas, a decision driven primarily by media rights and revenue — the same forces behind most recent conference realignment.
What conference is Oklahoma State in?
The Big 12. Oklahoma State remained when Oklahoma and Texas departed for the SEC.