Nothing has been confirmed yet, but it seems like a regular spring football game is back for the Oklahoma Sooners.
OU on Wednesday announced that its spring game will be on Saturday, April 18, at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Although fans will mark that date on their calendars, the day itself wasn't what got Sooner Nation excited about the announcement.
OU announces date for spring game
You're invited! 📩
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) February 11, 2026
More details to come. pic.twitter.com/4dWoukSjJp
Last year, the Sooners followed a trend throughout college football and canceled their annual spring game in fear of injuries and the possibility of younger players standing out and getting poached by other teams during the spring Transfer Portal window. Instead of the traditional scrimmage, OU came up with the now infamous Crimson Combine as a replacement.
The Crimson Combine was overall a flop. The two-hour event started with OU players participating in drills for about an hour in what was basically a glorified practice while local radio commentated alongside general manager Jim Nagy and various OU coaches. Afterward, fans got an opportunity to briefly interact with OU players and coaches to get pictures and autographs. And worst of all, it cost fans $10, which many felt was a waste of money, and probably influenced what was almost an empty Memorial Stadium.
50,000 to 5,000. What in the hell is happening to college football? pic.twitter.com/fqmr29GITk
— Cale Gundy (@calegundy) April 12, 2025
Even though the Sooners' recent announcement stated there are still more details to be revealed later, the fact the post said "spring game" was enough to relieve OU fans that the Crimson Combine was likely one-and-done and a regular spring game should be back.
Sooner Nation rejoiced the hopeful return of an actual spring game and the death of the failed Crimson Combine.
OU officially announces it will have a spring game this year. (Thank God cause the Crimson Combine was awful.) https://t.co/AohjUqUMxu
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) February 11, 2026
The GAME is back, no drills this time. #BOOMER https://t.co/M94QbsmJ7v
— Tattoo Baker 🎥✨ (@QB1Tattoo) February 11, 2026
😍 https://t.co/YpngUo0KBM pic.twitter.com/KSCOmXV9ux
— John Shupe (@BoomerShupe99) February 12, 2026
LFG! We back. How it should be. 💯#Sooners #BoomerSooner #OUDNA https://t.co/K86rvabgqw
— SNX 🌩️☝️🅾️🧬 (@soonernationx) February 12, 2026
The Crimson Combine is dead, long live the Crimson Combine https://t.co/NNHPuUvBRV
— Carter Freemon (@cfreeDFW) February 12, 2026
— D (@The_Ham_Berglar) February 12, 2026
