Upcoming Oklahoma Sooners football dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Your Sooners seat in one paragraph
If you are cheering for Oklahoma, buy in the lower west stands between the 20-yard lines, behind the Sooners' bench. If you are a visiting fan, buy in the south end zone or the southern part of the east side, where road fans are seated. The stadium, Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (the field itself is Owen Field), seats 80,126 in Norman, and the home schedule runs from September through November.
Everything else is a trade-off between price, sun and noise, covered below.
Who sits where at Owen Field
The stadium is an enclosed bowl whose long axis runs north and south. The south end was closed in during a rebuild in the 2015–16 offseason, so both end zones now have permanent stands.
- West stands (home side). The Sooners moved their bench to this sideline in the mid-1990s, and it sits beneath the press box and the 1975 upper deck. Lower west seats near midfield are the first choice for Sooners fans.
- East stands (students and band). Students fill the east side around the Pride of Oklahoma, seated in section 29, roughly from the 20 to the 35. Plan on standing. Above them, the 2003 upper deck carries 27 suites and roughly 2,500 club seats.
- South end zone and southeast sections (visitors). Where road fans are placed. Good for visiting supporters; a poor fit for home fans who want to be surrounded by crimson.
- North end zone. A lower-cost option with an end-on view and the north videoboard above your head.
September heat and the shade question in Norman
Early-season games in Norman are often hot. Because the field points north and south, the sun late in the afternoon drops behind the west stands, which puts east-side fans facing it during a mid-afternoon kickoff and leaves the west side with the sun at its back. The main source of shade is an overhang above some upper rows, so for a day game, ask whether a listing is under cover before you buy. Night games remove the issue.
For a home fan, the west side wins twice: closer to the Sooners' bench and better positioned for the sun.
Red River in Dallas: how the 50-yard split works
Oklahoma's biggest game of the year is not in Norman. Since 1932 the Texas game, a series that began on October 10, 1900, has been played in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park while the State Fair of Texas is running, usually on the second Saturday of October, and it is contracted to stay there through 2036.
Seating is split down the middle: each school receives half of the tickets, and the 50-yard line is the border between crimson and burnt orange. The Golden Hat goes home with the winner. With each school selling only its own half, fans without donor standing usually buy on resale, and they should make sure the listing is on the correct side of the 50.
The Norman dates that draw the biggest crowds
The 2024 move to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) brought new visitors to Norman, among them Missouri, a former Big Eight foe. Demand peaks for ranked conference opponents, games under the lights and November dates with the standings in play. The building's biggest crowd, 88,308, saw a TCU game in November 2017.
Bedlam, the series with Oklahoma State that began in 1904, is on hold. The most recent football meeting was November 4, 2023, and scheduling conflicts mean the game is not expected back before the 2031 season. Early non-conference games remain the easiest way into the stadium.
Getting to Norman and clearing security
You will find the stadium at 1185 Asp Avenue on the OU campus, a short drive south of Oklahoma City. Parking and traffic plans change each season, and the athletics department posts an updated parking and traffic plan ahead of each home date. For a sellout, leave early in both directions; postgame traffic out of Norman builds quickly.
The 2026 rules allow a clear bag no bigger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches (transparent backpacks and totes qualify) or a gallon-size clear storage bag, and you can add one small opaque bag, such as a crossbody, measuring 5.5 by 7.5 inches or less. An empty clear plastic water bottle (under 17 ounces) and a cushion without a frame (under 16 inches wide) are fine. Leave coolers, umbrellas, chairs, noisemakers and video cameras in the car. Review the OU bag policy before you leave home.
The program behind the crimson and cream
The Sooners first took the field in 1895. They spent 76 seasons in the Big Eight and 28 in the Big 12 before heading to the SEC. The school counts seven national championships, the last in 2000 (the others came in 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975 and 1985), along with 50 league titles, more than any current member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS, the top tier of Division I), including 14 straight from 1946 to 1959.
Seven Heisman winners stretch from 1952 to 2018: Billy Vessels in 1952, Steve Owens in 1969, Billy Sims in 1978, Jason White in 2003, Sam Bradford in 2008, Baker Mayfield in 2017 and Kyler Murray in 2018. Three coaches set the standard: Bud Wilkinson, whose teams won 47 games in a row; Barry Switzer, with three titles and a 157–29–4 record; and Bob Stoops, who went 190–48 with 10 league crowns. For the current staff and roster, check the team site.
Traditions
- The Sooner Schooner: a replica covered wagon, or prairie schooner, that races onto the field.
- Boomer Sooner: the fight song, heard again and again through the afternoon.
- The Pride of Oklahoma: 350 musicians who share the east stands with the students.
- The memorial: the stadium's full name honors OU students and staff killed in World War I, and north of the building, beside a reflecting pool, a memorial lists Sooners who died in military service.
How OU tickets reach the resale market
Season tickets account for most of the stadium, and donors with long giving histories hold the best sideline locations. Students draw from their own east-side allocation. The athletics office has few single-game seats for high-demand games, which is why a midfield seat for a major SEC date usually comes from season-ticket holders on resale.
On resale, the matchup, the rankings, the kickoff slot and even the forecast move prices. For Red River, with two fan bases holding equal halves, prices tend to follow how both teams are playing. Each Reserved Seat order is covered by a 100% guarantee, and Reserved Seat is independent of the University of Oklahoma.
Frequently asked questions
Which side is the Oklahoma home sideline?
West. Oklahoma's bench moved there in the mid-1990s, so lower west seats near midfield are the home fan's first choice.
Which seats get the sun at an OU day game?
East-side seats face the late-afternoon sun, which sets behind the west stands. Shade comes mainly from overhangs above some upper rows.
Where should visiting fans buy seats in Norman?
Visitor seating is in the south end zone and the southeast portion of the stands.
How are Oklahoma and Texas fans seated at the Cotton Bowl?
Each school gets half the tickets, and the stadium is split at the 50-yard line, with Sooners fans on one half and Longhorns fans on the other.
What is the record crowd at Owen Field?
A crowd of 88,308 watched TCU visit on November 11, 2017. The listed capacity, unchanged since 2019, is 80,126.