Since the heydays of Oklahoma football in the 1950s, postseason play for the Sooners has been an expectation and far more the norm than the exception.
And the Sooners have not disappointed their fans, making 57 bowl appearances in their grand history, including 25 consecutive appearances since the 1999 season. That is the second longest active streak in college football to Georgia's 26 straight bowl appearances.
The Rose Bowl is the oldest of the consecutively operated postseason bowl games, having debuted in 1916. Until the 1930s, there was only one bowl game every season. The number of postseason opportunities expanded to five by the end of the 1930s (Rose, Orange, Sugar, Cotton and Sun Bowl) and had grown to nine by 1949.
The number of bowl games began expanding incrementally beginning in 1968. By the end of the decade of the '60s there were 11 bowl games. That grew by four to 15 by 1979, to 18 in 1989, 23 in 1999 and is up to 43 different postseason bowl games this season.
Obviously, it was much more difficult to earn a postseason bowl assignment in the 1950s and '60s than it is today, when more than half of the teams that compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision are eligible to play in a postseason bowl. In the early days of the postseason bowl era, the major conferences had contracts with the various bowls securing a spot for their conference champions. For example, for the longest time, the Big Six, Big Seven and Big Eight conference had an agreement with the Orange Bowl. Similarly, the Big Ten and Pacific Coast conference with the Rose Bowl and the SEC with the Sugar Bowl. The major conferences still have bowl agreements today, but the process in much deeper and more complex.
In the early days of the postseason bowl era, the major conferences had contracts with the various bowls securing a spot for their conference champions. For example, for the longest time, the Big Six, Big Seven and Big Eight conference had an agreement with the Orange Bowl. That is why Oklahoma has made more appearances in the Orange Bowl (20) than any other,
Similarly, the Big Ten and Pacific-12 and its forerunners with the Rose Bowl and the SEC with the Sugar Bowl. The major conferences still have bowl agreements today, but the process is much deeper and more complex.
The Sooners' 57 bowl appearances are the fourth most in college football history. Alabama sits above all teams in this category having appeared in 77 bowl games, including this season. Georgia is next with 62 followed by Texas with 59.
Of OU's 25 consecutive bowl appearances since the 1999 season, four have been national championship games, producing one national title; nine were BCS (Bowl Championship Series) bowl games, including what is now known as New Year's Six bowls; and four were College Football Playoff semifinal games.
Although Oklahoma is among the national leaders in the number of bowl games played, the Sooners' bowl record doesn't quite rise to the same heights. OU is 31-24-1 all-time in bowl games. That is a winning percentage of .563, which ranks 22nd nationally. The one tie was in the 1970 Bluebonnet Bowl, a 24-24 deadlock with Alabama.