There was football on Saturday at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, but it certainly wasn't a game being played.
Oklahoma debuted the new Crimson Combine that replaced the annual spring game. The Sooners followed the latest college football trend and canceled their spring game mainly because of injury concerns before supplementing it with this new idea.
The Crimson Combine started with OU players participating in a glorified practice while local radio commentated alongside new general manager Jim Nagy and various OU coaches. Afterward, fans got opportunities to get autographs from and pictures with players.
After Sooner Nation finally got to experience the reality of this new concept, many shared their reviews on social media, including both pros and cons. At the end of the day, it wasn't a football game, and that's what fans desperately want. However, fans did get more opportunity to interact with OU players and coaches during the event.
Wrapped up Spring Ball in the Palace 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/dRt9D03fno
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) April 13, 2025
Sooners host inaugural Crimson Combine
First, some of the cons of the Crimson Combine.
Since I haven’t seen anyone else say it but the crimson combine is stupid and it was fs a rushed decision. Should’ve just done a spring game
— SmallGameBoomer (@TheRealSGB_) April 12, 2025
I respect them trying to do something, and as a fan I’ll attend anything they do…but man the Spring Game was so much more fun with such a better environment. I get this is a result of the current state of College Football but I miss the Spring game.
— Redwine (@BrysanRedwine) April 12, 2025
I basically paid $10 to get schedule posters for me and my buddies. Bad idea. Boring and should have been free to enter.
— Soonergrif (@Soonergriff) April 12, 2025
Should have canceled it and given the money to the players. Waste of time.
— Blake (@soonerblake) April 13, 2025
We left early. It was a joke.
— JD (@saw72893) April 13, 2025
I definitely could have made this a lot longer with bad reviews. Good thing the Crimson Combine doesn't have a page on Yelp.
OU announced that attendance for the Crimson Combine at a rather empty Oklahoma Memrorial Stadium was 16,316. A reminder that only three years ago, Sooner Nation set a spring game attendance record of 75,360. Last year's attendance was 45,861.
50,000 to 5,000. What in the hell is happening to college football? pic.twitter.com/fqmr29GITk
— Cale Gundy (@calegundy) April 12, 2025
Throwback 😅 pic.twitter.com/eUrOQqrFBi
— Baker Mayfield’s burner (@BiggestOUfan) April 12, 2025
It wasn't all bad, though. But mostly.
I saw tons of kids having a blast.. Players interacting with kids. That’s worth it all.
— MoMo (@MonaehoweHowe) April 12, 2025
I enjoyed the experience. Got to see a lot of the players and the opportunity to meet them gives a sense of closeness with team that I hope will translate to understanding during the season. Fine young men who will play their hearts out for us. #BoomerSooner
— Jimmy Williams (@JimmyW_CFP) April 12, 2025
Crimson Combine
— Wallis Marsh (@WallisMarsh) April 12, 2025
I did shake hands with @Barry_Switzer and @senoroukc
Glad to be among friends pic.twitter.com/wEnhRm1t6q
.@John_Mateer4 stayed well beyond the hour-long Crimson Combine official autograph period ended to make sure every single person who wanted his signature got it. Said he would have stayed here all night if he needed to. pic.twitter.com/bF8Wpfljsx
— Mike Houck (@mhouckOU) April 12, 2025
However, the bad drastically outweighed the good. So the consensus from Sooner Nation on the Crimson Combine: fail.
Regardless, with the current state of college football, it's still likely the closest thing we'll get to OU football during the spring.