Patty Gasso teases news that could make college softball history

Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso just created the ultimate clickbait that will have college softball fans dreaming big.

Gasso this week leading up to the Sooners hosting the Norman Regional as part of the 2026 NCAA Softball Championship was a guest on "The Oklahoma Breakdown with Gabe Ikard and Teddy Lehman" podcast and dropped a massive bombshell that left the hosts' jaws on the floor without actually even revealing much news at all. It was still enough, though, to anticipate a massive announcement soon from Oklahoma that should excite fans.

Patty Gasso hints at college softball event that has Oklahoma fans dreaming

"There's lots of things that are coming in the future that I can't tell you about, but it's record-breaking," Gasso said. "And Oklahoma's leading that way. And it is gonna be absolutely amazing, and we're close to getting the OK to do it. But it has to do with a football stadium. Not ours."

The biggest hint Gasso gave was that whatever is coming has to do with a football stadium, but not Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. Despite the Sooners having the largest on-campus venue in all of college softball with Love's Field, which has a capacity of 4,200, many OU fans have still dreamt of OU hosting a softball game inside its football stadium to shatter any attendance record while setting a scene unlike any other.

Just last year, Stanford broke the NCAA single-game softball attendance record with 13,207 fans when it hosted a game against Cal at Stanford Stadium, where the Cardinal play football. Stanford deemed the event, "The Big Swing."

Before Stanford's record-breaking event, every top-10 attended college softball game was at Oklahoma City during the Women's College World Series. The Sooners were part of four of those instances. But now thanks to Stanford, it would be nearly impossible to set a new attendance record at any actual softball venue in the United States.

"We like to take claim for big moments, so when I saw that, I was like, 'Ohh,' and then I'm like, 'But, yeah!' Because that's pretty cool," Gasso said after Stanford set that attendance record. "It really would be interesting to see like a full stadium -- what it would look like. How many people would really show up? ...

"Even if you put grandstands out at (Devon Park), we might be able to do something to beat (the attendance record). I think it would be amazing to see a full football stadium. So, yeah, thank you for reminding me. I'll make that phone call."

Obviously Gasso made that phone call.

Read more: Oklahoma's opponents are treating Love’s Field like a bucket list destination

A larger venue is all that's holding the Sooners back from having the attendance record themselves. OU fans routinely sell out Love's Field for home series and fill up Devon Park during the Women's College World Series so much that other coaches throw fits about the home-field advantage OU gets at a neutral site.

Gasso's recent comments make it seem inevitable the Sooners will soon crush Stanford's attendance record, but now the question is where if it's not Memorial Stadium? The next closest option could be Boone Pickens Stadium for a Bedlam matchup against Oklahoma State. That rivalry, which has recently been played at Devon Park, would definitely draw in a record crowd, but OU should want that record itself instead of a rival getting the most credit. And Gasso said the Sooners are leading the charge for whatever is happening.

More than likely, it will be at a neutral site between two college softball powerhouses big enough to fill any venue, anywhere. Fans' minds obviously wandered all over the place with endless possibilities. Could softball's Red River Rivalry also be played at the Cotton Bowl like football? Or at AT&T Stadium, which dwarfs the Cotton Bowl? Could an NFL stadium host a college softball tournament early in the season?

For now, all we can do is dream until Gasso finally coughs up the details.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow