Oklahoma

Here’s how to nominate an Oklahoma business for The Oklahoman’s 2024 Top Workplaces award

Published

1 year ago

May 26, 2024

Here’s how to nominate an Oklahoma business for The Oklahoman’s 2024 Top Workplaces award

It’s no secret that a cut-throat work environment hurts people and productivity, and a positive workplace helps both — as well as customer relations and the bottom line.

Are you lucky to work in a good place? Or know of one?

Actually, luck has little to do with it. It takes work, engagement and mutual trust. The Oklahoman wants to honor top workplaces in the state. Help us recognize business leaders and organizations that excel in both work and workforce. Anyone can nominate a company, including business leadership, employees or even customers.

Businesses have to change, and change again, to survive, especially in the age of artificial intelligence and real potential tension among different kinds of people. But not every company has a culture that stands out, let alone one worth bragging about.

Top Workplaces will highlight some of the best things happening in Oklahoma business. This is our 12th year of doing the program here at The Oklahoman.

Which companies stand out? Which companies are the best places to work? Which companies exhibit bold leadership?

If you know of an Oklahoma business that fits these kinds of descriptions, consider nominating it for our annual Top Workplaces award. If you work for a great company, we want to know about it. Tell us why it is so great. Let us help share your story with others.

More: These 5 companies made The Oklahoman’s Top Workplaces for more than a decade

Organizations with 35 or more employees in Oklahoma are eligible to participate. They can be public, private, nonprofit or government organizations. The nomination deadline is July 12. The Oklahoman will feature the winners in December.To nominate an employer or for more information on the awards, go to www.oklahoman.com/nominate or call 405-708-6151. There is no cost to participate.

To qualify as an Oklahoma Top Workplace, employees evaluate their workplace using a short 24-question survey that takes about five minutes to complete.

The Oklahoman is partnering with Philadelphia-based Energage, the employee research and culture technology firm, to determine Oklahoma’s Top Workplaces, based solely on employee survey feedback.

Energage conducts Top Workplaces surveys for media in 65 markets nationwide and surveyed more than 2 million employees at more than 8,000 organizations in the past year.

“Top Workplaces awards are a celebration of good news,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “They exemplify the significance of a people-first workplace experience, reminding us that employees are the heart of any thriving organization.

Plenty of workplaces do great work even facing great challenges. Tell us about them. Help us show who is worthy of Top Workplaces recognition.

Source link

Click to comment

Oklahoma

Why Oklahoma HC Brent Venables Said John Mateer Was ‘Really Good’ vs. Missouri

Published

60 minutes ago

November 23, 2025

Press Room

Why Oklahoma HC Brent Venables Said John Mateer Was ‘Really Good’ vs. Missouri

NORMAN — There were plenty of lowlights from John Mateer’s outing against Missouri on Saturday.

Of the 30 passes the Oklahoma quarterback threw, 16 of them went incomplete. He also nearly threw an interception early in the second half, when the Sooners led by just one score.

His final passing line — 14-of-30 for 173 yards and two touchdowns — wasn’t flashy. But it was good enough for No. 8 OU to beat the No. 22 Tigers 17-6.

“(He was) really good,” OU coach Brent Venables said. “Had to earn everything he was given. Made some really good plays. Every single one of his yards were earned, hard-earned yards.”

While Mateer was inconsistent, he made key plays when the Sooners needed them most.

Oklahoma punted on its first three drives and had minus-7 total yards of offense after the first quarter.

The Sooners were in danger of going three-and-out again on their fourth drive. But on third-and-7 from OU’s 13-yard line, Mateer hit wide receiver Isaiah Sategna in stride on a slant route, and Sategna took it 87 yards to the end zone for a touchdown.

“Really good job by John standing in there delivering the throw, and then Isaiah just turned on the burners going up the sideline,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. “Really good execution on that play.”

Mateer said, “Really good design that Arbuckle came up with and we got man (coverage) like we wanted. And I knew there was a ‘backer underneath I had to navigate, and I did. Luckily, put it on his nose and he was able to run.”

Just a few minutes later, Mateer took advantage of favorable field position.

After a short Mizzou punt, the Sooners started their drive at the Tigers’ 35-yard line. Mateer led a seven-play scoring drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Javonnie Gibson.

Mateer’s two touchdown passes were enough on a day where the Sooners’ defense allowed Missouri to score just twice on two field goals.

“I’m incredibly proud of him,” Arbuckle said. “I’m proud of the way he leads, I’m proud of the way that he plays. Are there always things we can be better at? Absolutely. But John Mateer, he’s a great ball player.”

Neither offense played pretty football in the second half.

Oklahoma compiled only 138 total yards, and Missouri had even fewer at 122. Mateer completed only six of his 13 pass attempts, throwing for just 49 yards in the final 30 minutes.

Still, Mateer was crucial in helping OU salt away its win.

The Sooners scored just three second-half points, but they were able to register nine first downs, thanks largely to short passes and runs for decent gains. Mateer ended the game as OU’s leading rusher, finishing with 60 yards on 18 carries, and the quarterback’s legs allowed the clock to keep moving in the low-scoring contest.

“You just gotta put your head down and take a hit, you know?” Mateer said. “So I did it, and it was fun.”

Mateer still hasn’t been at his best since returning from injury against Texas on Oct. 11. The quarterback hasn’t thrown for more than 250 yards in a game since the Sooners’ win over Auburn on Sept. 20. He has thrown four touchdowns and four interceptions in the six games since the surgery on his right hand.

Still, there has been progress lately.

Mateer threw multiple touchdown passes on Saturday for the first time since OU’s season opener against Illinois State. He has also gone two games without turning the ball over. And, most importantly, Mateer has led the Sooners to three wins in a row, keeping them in the picture for the College Football Playoff.

Mateer has slowly but steadily improved in the back half of the season, and that gives Arbuckle confidence as OU prepares for LSU, its final opponent of the regular season.

“I mean, playing insanely tough, not turning the ball over, doing the little things that it takes to win and being a great teammate and a great leader,” Arbuckle said. “That’s how I’ve seen him progress and I expect nothing different from him as soon as we go back to work tomorrow. And I’m excited to watch him attack it.”

Source link

Oklahoma

First Native woman drives Oklahoma’s iconic Sooner Schooner, a covered wagon mascot

Published

19 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

First Native woman drives Oklahoma’s iconic Sooner Schooner, a covered wagon mascot

For the first time in its 60-year history, the Sooner Schooner, the University of Oklahoma’s iconic covered wagon mascot, is being driven by a Native American woman.

Brianna Howard, a junior at OU and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, first drove the Schooner onto the field during the football team’s season opener against Illinois State.

“I only had a minute to get on the Schooner, get the reins and go,” Howard said Saturday before the Sooners’ game against Missouri in Norman. “I didn’t have enough time to get too nervous. When I went out there, it was amazing. I could not even hear the audience I was so zoned into driving.”

Members of the RUF/NEKS and the all-female spirit group Lil’ Sis take care of the Schooner and its ponies, and they take turns driving it during the game.

Members of the Oklahoma spirit groups drive the Sooner Schooner after a touchdown against Missouri during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Norman, Okla.

Alonzo Adams / AP

First introduced in 1964, the Sooner Schooner is pulled across the field before the game and after Oklahoma scores by matching white ponies named “Boomer” and “Sooner.”

Because the scaled-down Conestoga wagon is reminiscent of those pioneers used while settling Oklahoma Territory in the late 1800s, Howard acknowledged that some see the Schooner mascot as a symbol of oppression against Native people. But she said to her, driving the wagon represents taking ownership of that symbol.

“I know that for me, it’s a representation of taking back something that was used to oppress my people and my culture, and now that I’m in charge, it’s giving us the power,” she said. “Not everyone’s going to see it that way, and that’s OK.”

Jack Roehm, a senior at OU and president of the RUF/NEKS, drove the Schooner during Saturday’s game against Missouri and described the Sooner Schooner tradition as one of college football’s most unusual.

“It’s a historic tradition after every score having the ponies run across the field,” Roehm said. “There’s nothing like it in college football.”

Source link

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Likely to Face Full Strength Missouri per Friday Availability Report

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Oklahoma Likely to Face Full Strength Missouri per Friday Availability Report

It appears Oklahoma will get Missouri’s best shot.

The Tigers’ starting quarterback, Beau Pribula, was upgraded to available for Saturday’s showdown by not appearing on Friday’s SEC Availability Report.

Pribula suffered a lower leg injury in Missouri’s loss to Vanderbilt, and he hasn’t appeared since.

Pribula has completed 69.6 percent of his passes this year for 1,685 yards and 11 touchdowns, though he has thrown seven interceptions.

But the No. 22-ranked Tigers will likely have him back as they try to upend No. 8 Oklahoma’s season.

For the Sooners’ part, they’ll be working without a few pieces.

Defensive end R Mason Thomas and defensive back Gentry Williams were both downgraded from questionable to doubtful on the report.

Thomas injured his quad early in Oklahoma’s win over Tennessee in the process of returning Joey Aguilar’s fumble all the way back to the end zone for a touchdown.

Williams hasn’t featured since he exited on the first drive of OU’s win over South Carolina.

Running back Jovantae Barnes and offensive guard Heath Ozaeta were both ruled out for the contest, as was defensive back Kendel Dolby. This marked the first time all week that Dolby appeared on the availability report.

OU was already going to be without offensive linemen Troy Everett, Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor, who have been ruled out of every SEC contest this year.

Running backs Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock did not appear on the availability report, though it’s unclear if either back will be 100 percent on Saturday.

Robinson had to go to the injury tent in the second half against Alabama, and while he did return to the game, he was not as effective late.

As a result, OU coach Brent Venables said the Sooners will have to lean on the depth of the offense to keep the rushing game going against Missouri.

“It’s going to be tested, no question,” Venables said. “So hopeful we can stay healthy and we’re probably going to spread it out a little more to kind of manage the next few weeks.”

The Sooners and the Tigers will meet at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Owen Field, and the contest will be broadcast on ABC.

Source link