It was changes throughout college football that ultimately took Bedlam football away from the state of Oklahoma, but now more wrongs could eventually somehow make everything right again in the Sooner State.
A looming College Football Playoff expansion has been the hottest topic this offseason, especially during this week's annual SEC spring meetings in Florida as administrators and coaches wonder how a 16-team or even 24-team playoff could impact their programs. A benefit of an inflated playoff field, at least for fans missing Bedlam, could be the return of the in-state rivalry that's been dead since OU left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2023.
Oklahoma AD Roger Denny emphasizes importance of Bedlam as rivalry buzz restarts
"It's huge for our state and our fans," Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny recently told ESPN. "We've said pretty openly that's something we think is important to Oklahoma -- the state, not just the institution. So if we have a way to (play Oklahoma State) in a way that doesn't limit our opportunities, certainly that's something we'd want to look into."
An expanded playoff could lead to nonconference rivalries like Bedlam being renewed if strength of schedule becomes a more valuable metric in earning a spot in the CFP. With the SEC this season going from eight to nine conference games and adding yet another tough challenge to the schedule, many programs have started to do the opposite and run from big-time nonconference matchups they can avoid.
Just earlier this month, Oklahoma State lost a marquee home-and-home series with Alabama that was scheduled for 2028 and 2029. The Cowboys almost immediately replaced those dates with Michigan State. OSU has reason to blame the SEC for losing those two premier games against the Crimson Tide, as well as an annual Bedlam game. However, the Cowboys don't seem to be all that upset with avoiding the Sooners.
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"What we're seeing right now is a lot of difficulty in comparing strength of schedule, strength of record, things like that between the conferences," Denny said. "So for us to take one thing to lead to another, which is scheduling more difficult opponents, we've got to have trust that that's going to be reflected in the selection process.
"I think the CFP and that group are working really hard to make sure that they can build that trust, but that's got to be part of it, and so I wouldn't commit to it either way. We've got to know that that will be rewarded for doing that."
OU has been the only side of Bedlam to recently state it actually wants the rivalry to return, outside of new OSU coach Eric Morris proclaiming during his introductory press conference that he wants to beat the Sooners. In February, OU said in a statement to OU Daily that it welcomed the return of Bedlam as the Norman and Stillwater mayors tried to pass a somewhat meaningless bill that would bring back the rivalry.
Former OU athletic director Joe Castiglione in October also claimed to Tulsa World that he even reached out to Oklahoma State about playing but "OSU's interest was minimal." Denny told ESPN that he hasn't had any direct conversations with OSU about the rivalry since taking over in February.
The reality right now, though, is that adding Bedlam to the schedule doesn't make sense for either side outside of tradition and pleasing fans, especially considering the Cowboys' underwhelming track record against OU and their recent struggles. There's no real benefit to the Sooners beating OSU, and there's obviously no benefit to the Cowboys losing a nonconference game while struggling in Big 12 play.
However, no matter how uncertain the future of college football is, it still seems it will likely include Bedlam again one day.
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