Bob Stoops Slams SEC Decision to Move OU vs. Ole Miss to Sunday

Legendary Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops criticized SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on Saturday following a decision to move the Oklahoma-Ole Miss game to Sunday.

The scheduling shift occurred after a nationwide ground stoppage by the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday disrupted travel plans for several teams. While many games across the country were delayed to later on Saturday, the Oklahoma-Ole Miss matchup became the only one pushed to Sunday, Oklahoma Sooners On SI reported.

Ole Miss had not departed for Norman before the FAA stoppage took effect, and the school opted to travel Saturday morning rather than Friday night. Shortly after midnight, the SEC announced the game would move to noon on Sunday.

This decision by Greg Sankey is absolutely wrong. All of the power 4 teams found a way to make it to their games, but Ole Miss wouldn't 🤔 ASU is flying across country to UCF this AM to play today. Greg Sankey instead of telling OU they would forfeit if they didn't change the…

— Post by @CoachBobStoops on X

“This decision by Greg Sankey is absolutely wrong,” Stoops posted on X. He argued that while other Power 4 teams found ways to make their games, Ole Miss did not. Stoops suggested that instead of threatening Oklahoma with a forfeit if they did not move the game to Sunday, the commissioner should have demanded Ole Miss find a way to Norman regardless of a delay.

Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny also expressed frustration. He told Oklahoma Sooners On SI that the SEC threatened the Sooners with a forfeit if they did not agree to the Sunday kickoff.

Paul Finebaum targets Roger Denny

The decision sparked a sharp rebuttal from SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, who criticized Denny’s public response to the conference leadership. Finebaum characterized the athletic director’s actions as an attempt to appease a frustrated fanbase.

“What I don’t think is correct is Roger Denny, the athletic director there, pathetically pandering to his fanbase at midnight to try to cover up whatever. I don’t know. But Mr. Denny, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference made a decision for the entire conference and for the safety of everyone. He’s not concerned about what you’re doing with your fanbase.”

Finebaum further questioned Denny’s leadership, citing the recent contract extension given to football coach Brent Venables despite the team’s current struggles. The Sooners, previously ranked No. 9, have since lost four games and are currently out of the playoff race.

SEC Moves Oklahoma Ole Miss to Sunday, Threatens OU Forfeiture — That SEC Podcast

“What he did here is really against the code of the SEC. To call out a commissioner during a national crisis and emergency. He’s thinking about himself and his fanbases, who’s already on tinder hooks because of the season and I think he is dead wrong and quite frankly I think it is unbecoming of a leader in college athletics or anywhere to do what he did,” Finebaum told Oklahoma Sooners On SI.

Logistical challenges for Oklahoma campus

The move to Sunday morning creates a complex environment for the university. Beyond the immediate football game, the university must manage several overlapping athletic events on campus.

Ole Miss vs Oklahoma MOVED TO Sunday | FAA Ground Stop, OU AD Furious — Locked On Ole Miss

The Sunday kickoff also impacts the football program’s preparation for the following week. Oklahoma will host Texas A&M in their home finale next weekend, while Ole Miss is scheduled to play FCS opponent Wofford.

This matchup marks Oklahoma’s first regular-season game played on a Sunday since they opened the 2019 season against Houston.

This is not the first time Stoops and Finebaum have been at odds. In 2015, Finebaum called Stoops “irrelevant” shortly before the Sooners won at Tennessee. In February 2017, Finebaum described Stoops as “a total failure” regarding team discipline following an arrest involving Baker Mayfield in Arkansas.