For decades, football has had a reliable three-day system. Friday night was for high schools. Saturday belonged to colleges. Sunday was when all eyes were glued to the NFL.
The system kept all three from bumping into each other and in a lot ways kept all in the forefront.
But Oklahoma’s game at Tulsa Friday night will blur the lines for many fans in the state. There’s no way to catch a high school game in person and still watch the Sooners play on ESPN2.
OU coach Bob Stoops wishes it wasn’t that way
“It’s not something you’ll see us do, I’m sure, hardly ever,” he said.
It’s the second time the Sooners have played at Tulsa on a Friday night.
OU traveled up the Turner Turnpike to face the Golden Hurricane to kick off the 2002 season. The difference that year was the high school season didn’t begin until the following week.
Friday’s meeting is the first time an OU game likely will draw crowds away from high school football.
Stoops said OU athletic director Joe Castiglione talked with representatives of the Oklahoma High School Football Association before agreeing to the Friday game.
The coaches gave it their blessing.
“We checked with people, before we agreed to it, that they said OK, this is a one-time deal we’ll go ahead and do it,” Stoops said. “It isn’t our home game, so in the end I think it will be fine.”
The Sooner players have no reservations about playing a day earlier than normal.
Running back Chris Brown said playing the only nationally-televised game of the night means most college football teams will have their eyes glued to the Sooners.
“Knowing that everyone is going to be in their hotel rooms on Friday night watching us play makes you get up a little more,” he said. “There’s not much to watch on Friday night.”
Who’s watching?
Since New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 by the NFL for taping opposing coaches defensive signals, one of the biggest questions in college football has been are coaches spying on them.
Stoops said OU has never caught anyone committing the crime Belichick was accused of. But he wouldn’t be surprised if it’s going on.
“I haven’t heard any, but I wouldn’t put it past some guys,” he said.
All of the Sooners’ practices are closed to the public and security personnel patrol the fences and parking garage near their practice fields.
Even the preseason scrimmages that are open to the public involve spying percausions.
“If you wonder why sometimes we have scrimmages early in the season where we have one side of the stadium open and we put our back to them, it’s because I don’t want someone sitting out there watching one of our scrimmages and just sitting there getting it all,” Stoops said.
“That’s why a lot of times we just go on the east side and put our back to everybody, so if we’re singaling no one’s over there on west side. Hopefully, no one snuck up in the press box and is knowing what we’re doing.”
Colorado game
time set
The kickoff time for OU’s Sept. 29 game at Colorado has been set for 12:30 p.m.
The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net (local cable channel 37).
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
Sooners play rare Friday night game
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