Gundy: Bedlam ending ‘somebody else’s decision’

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy stated Tuesday that any dialogue about his college’s function in the way forward for the Bedlam rivalry with Oklahoma was “infantile.”

Athletic administrators for each faculties advised the Motion Community on Monday that the sequence would formally be ending when Oklahoma departs for the SEC.

“We have no openings to play them,” Oklahoma State’s Chad Weiberg stated. “We’re full. Until there are important undertakings to make the sport occur, it may well’t occur.”

Weiberg’s counterpart at Oklahoma, Joe Castiglione, stated that the Cowboys had opted to not proceed with the sequence.

“Oklahoma State has proven no curiosity to schedule any future video games in soccer, so we’re shifting on,” he stated.

On Tuesday, Gundy advised reporters at Cowboys observe that whereas he likes Castiglione, “We have to give up beating across the bush and name it the best way it’s.”

“Bedlam is historical past, everyone knows that. We have identified that,” Gundy stated, “as a result of OU selected to comply with Texas and the cash to the SEC. It is OK. So now, we’re having what I feel are infantile discussions, in my view, over one thing that is finished. And I wish to make this the final assertion that I’ve as a result of I’ve no exhausting emotions.

“However what is going on on now could be nearly a state of affairs with a husband and a spouse, or a girlfriend and a boyfriend when you already know you are lifeless fallacious and also you attempt to flip the desk and make them assume they’re fallacious, when Oklahoma State has no half on this.”

Later Tuesday, Castiglione advised ESPN that Oklahoma has barely extra nonconference scheduling flexibility than Oklahoma State, however he hasn’t given up fully on a future Bedlam sequence.

“I feel it is going to come again in some unspecified time in the future within the 2030s,” he stated. Castiglione added that the Sooners are speaking to Oklahoma State officers about competing in different sports activities they’ve in widespread, however “soccer is a bit of completely different” as a result of they schedule farther upfront and there are fewer nonconference alternatives and dates to work with than there are in different sports activities.

“It makes whole sense for us to maintain the competitors between the 2 faculties going,” he stated.

Gundy stated the Cowboys weren’t concerned in what he known as the months of “multibillion-dollar conversations” between Oklahoma and the SEC, and due to this fact had no selection on the difficulty.

“So, all people must recover from it and transfer on and give up making an attempt to show the tables,” he stated. “It is considerably comical that they nonetheless need to convey us into this equation. Let’s not flip the tables. Let’s simply say, ‘Hey, look, we selected to comply with Texas and take the cash and we’ll the SEC.’ It is all good. Let’s give up speaking about it. Let’s speak about soccer.”

Gundy has been outspoken on the tip of the rivalry, which was first performed in 1904 with 116 conferences since then. In July, at Large 12 media days, he stated the sequence was winding down.

“The way forward for Bedlam is a yr or two left,” he stated in July. “I imply, that is the long run that is based mostly on anyone else’s resolution.”

Gundy predicted that almost all conferences will transfer to 9 convention video games, which makes it even tougher for nonconference video games to be scheduled, significantly when the Cowboys’ schedule was already booked by means of 2032 or 2033.

“You are speaking about contract buyouts, and also you’re speaking about convincing head coaches to play one other recreation, which might be like enjoying one other convention recreation,” Gundy stated in July. “There’s lots occurring. I feel most followers would like to do it. I simply do not assume it is possible to occur, in my view.”

Gundy additionally stated at the moment that if he had been new Large 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, he would not enable Texas and Oklahoma in league enterprise conferences.

“I say that jokingly,” Gundy stated. “However I imply, should you’re strategically in a enterprise assembly, if it is two mobile phone firms, I do not need anyone from their firm in my firm.”

ESPN Senior Author Heather Dinich contributed to this report.