Sooners gain most from extension OU will snag more recruits in Dallas area Sooners gain most from extension
By George Schroeder
Published: April 21, 2007
The announcement that OU-Texas will remain at the Cotton Bowl is good news for all involved.
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It means fierce rivals finally agreed on something. It means the City of Dallas finally got its act together. It means the State Fair of Texas retains its crown jewel.
Mostly, it means the best, most unique rivalry in college football won't change. And that's the good news.
Who benefits most? That's easy enough: OU.
OU and Texas will each get a $425,000 payday until 2012, when it jumps to $500,000. Either figure is a significant increase from the $125,000 the teams get now.
But forget the money. This is the best news OU's football program has generated in a long time.
Because there's no way to properly assess the value for the Sooners of playing the game in Dallas.
Essentially, the Sooners and Longhorns play a bowl game at midseason. That's the way the Dallas media treats the game, with special newspaper sections and television and radio segments. Now that the Cotton Bowl game has fallen to second-tier status, OU-Texas is the biggest college game played in the Metroplex in most years.
National media pays attention, too — and perhaps more attention than it would if the game was played in Norman and Austin.
All the extra attention benefits both teams, of course. But it really helps OU.
Quick: Where do most of OU's football recruits reside? The Sooners couldn't pay for the free advertising they get from playing in Dallas. (And now, they're getting paid more for it.)
The Longhorns understand. You'll never get anyone to admit this, but when Texas officials privately began suggesting the series should go to the campuses, OU's recruiting was one of the reasons.
Everybody wins with the extension. OU wins biggest.
Did you see the raise Texas hoops coach Rick Barnes got the other day?
He's now a $2 million man, which makes him far and away the Big 12's best-paid basketball coach. Here's the salary ranking:
•1. Rick Barnes, Texas, $2 million
•2. Bill Self, Kansas, $1.375 million
•3. Mark Turgeon, Texas A&M, $1.2 million
•4. Bob Knight, Texas Tech, $1.1 million
•5. Mike Anderson, Missouri, $850,000
•6. Sean Sutton, Oklahoma State, $750,000
•7. Jeff Bzdelik, Colorado, $750,000
•8. Doc Sadler, Nebraska, $700,000
•9. Jeff Capel, Oklahoma, $650,000
•9. Greg McDermott, Iowa State, $650,000
Note: Only guaranteed salary is listed. The salary for Kansas State coach Frank Martin, who was recently promoted from an assistant position to replace Bob Huggins, wasn't available. As a private school, Baylor doesn't have to release Scott Drew's salary.
The Texas-Oklahoma football game will remain at the Cotton Bowl, with each team pocketing $425,000. This is good news for the Sooners. Associated Press
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