John Shinn
The start of the 2009 season is a little over four weeks away, but Oklahoma finalized some plans for the 2018 and 2020 season Tuesday.
OU and Army signed an agreement to begin a two-game football series. The Sooners will host the Black Knights 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,” OU athletic director said 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 be the fourth and fifth between the two institutions, who have not met since 1961. OU is 2-1 in the series.
The two first played on Sept. 28, 1946, when defending national champion Army topped the Sooners 21-7 in New York.
The Black Knights made their only visit to Owen Field on Nov. 14, 1959, when OU rolled to a 28-20 victory. The last meeting came two years later when OU knocked off Army 14-8 at Yankee Stadium.
Registry set
for Meet the
Sooners Day
Last year during the team’s annual media day, most of the Oklahoma football players plus members of the athletics staff and some media went through the simple process of entering their names and health information with the National Bone Marrow Program.
OU coach Bob Stoops and his staff have decided to take the process to the fans, too. The registration area will be designated between the tennis and soccer stadiums during Friday’s Meet the Sooners Day.
“The registration is a painless and quick process that might eventually result in our opportunity to save someone’s life,” Stoops said. “We don’t often get the chance to help someone else like that and I assume that all of us would be willing to do so if we could. I know how enthusiastic our fans are when they get behind something and I hope they can take the time to help some people who really need it this Friday.”
Only 30 percent of those needing a bone marrow transplant are able to find a suitable donor among family members. Therefore, a larger pool of donors is needed. It is estimated that some 10,000 Americans require a bone marrow transplant each year.
Registrants must be between the ages of 18-60 and in generally good health. They must present a driver’s license or social security number, complete an information form, answer health questions, sign an agreement to join the registration and then swab the inside of their mouth.
Typically, an actual bone marrow donation is an out-patient procedure similar to blood donation. The entire process takes between 10-15 minutes, according to the Oklahoma Blood Institute, which will be administering the event.
OU tandem on Walker Award list
OU’s Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray were both placed on the watch list Tuesday for the Doak Walker Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top running back.
The two Sooners were part of an NCAA statistical first last season when they became the only pair of 1,000-yard rushers to share a backfield with a 4,000-yard passer, Sam Bradford.
Brown led the Sooners in rushing with 1,220 yards on 217 attempts with 20 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 15 passes for 109 yards and one touchdowns.
Murray was OU’s top rusher until sustaining a injury on the opening kickoff of the Big 12 championship game. Still, he finished the season with 1,038 rushing yards on 179 carries with 14 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 31 passes for 395 yards and another four touchdowns.
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
