Could OU-Army game be revived for hole in 2024 football schedule?
Berry Tramel
Oklahoman
June 7, 2023OU’s 2020 football game at Army was postponed by the pandemic. Bummer, for all the Sooner fans who had planned a trip to West Point and Michie Stadium, and for all lovers of college football history.
The Sooners last played at West Point in 1946, a 21-7 OU loss against the mighty Cadets that showed the hiring of Jim Tatum was turning around the Sooner fortunes.
Rescheduling the 2020 game has proven difficult – the Sooners are willing to make a non-conference road trip only on certain years, when they don’t already have a road non-conference game, and Army was booked up through much of this decade.
But now things have changed. OU’s scheduled 2024 game at Tennessee was canceled because the Sooners will be joining the Southeastern Conference next year (and the Vols’ 2020 visit to Norman was wiped out by the pandemic).
Then the SEC voted to play an eight-game conference schedule in 2024, leaving OU with two holes to fill.
Could OU-Army be a solution?
FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2015, file photo, Army players huddle in the end zone before an NCAA college football game between Army and Wake Forest at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y. Army launched a $95 million campaign on Thursda, July 15, 2021, to fund reconstruction of the east stands at Michie Stadium. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)Sooner athletic director Joe Castiglione said he would circle back with West Point, since 2024 originally was not an option.
Army in 2024 has 10 games scheduled. The Black Knights typically don’t want to overschedule, and they certainly haven’t in 2024.
Army has home games scheduled against Syracuse and Wake Forest in ‘24. Those are the only Power Five Conference opponents scheduled for the Black Knights.
Army has road games at Ball State, Connecticut, Rice, Nevada-Las Vegas and Massachusetts, along with additional home games against Dartmouth and Air Force. Plus the annual neutral-site game against Navy.
The Black Knights aren’t scheduling powerhouses like they were a few years ago. Army plays at Louisiana State this season, but after that, the traditionally-toughest opponent is Kansas State, in 2026.
Army had taken to playing a series of tough games, losing 20-14 to Wisconsin in 2021, Michigan 24-21 in 2019 and OU 28-21 in 2018, the latter in overtime in Norman. Army also lost 38-7 at Ohio State (2017), 44-6 to Notre Dame in San Antonio (2016) and 20-14 at Penn State (2015).
But 2013 was the last time the Cadets had a big-name opponent play in West Point. Stanford, then ranked fifth nationally, beat Army 20-14 at Michie Stadium that year.
Would the Sooners be willing to play at Army in 2024? Would the Black Knights be willing to play OU? Would the Southeastern Conference grant OU a waiver for not playing a Power Five opponent?
Three “yes” answers are needed to make an OU-Army game realistic for 2024. But it’s worth the effort to find out. . . .