OSU FOOTBALL
In an opinion piece penned for CNN, author/columnist Will Leitch summed up the state of big-time college football.
“All that drives decision-making now,” Leitch wrote, “is television ratings.”
Following Mike Gundy’s Q&A with media members last week, there was an additional 10-minute Fireside Chat – an off-to-the-side talk with the Tulsa World’s Berry Tramel and me. We used to get Extra Gundy on a frequent basis. It hasn’t happened as often over the last few years, but when it does, it always has value.
In a discussion of his prediction that there soon will be the development of a 32-team super conference, Oklahoma State’s football coach expressed his belief that the Cowboy program would be a member.
On having a brand that appeals to television viewers, Gundy said, “That’s the only thing that matters. I don’t care who likes who. It’s all based on the (networks) and who they’re going to pay to put on TV.”
If this hypothetical super conference is limited to 32 schools, I don’t know that it’s a slam-dunk certainty that OSU would be on the roster.
To ensure coast-to-coast and border-to-border engagement, the most marketable level of college football can’t be limited only to schools currently in the SEC and the Big Ten, along with Notre Dame.
I don’t expect there to be a 32-team conference. I would expect it to be 48 teams.
There are probably 20 schools with football that resembles OSU football with its 50,000-seat stadium, mid-sized fan base and mid-sized resources. Two factors, however, would seem to separate Oklahoma State from some of the others that might be considered bubble candidates for the super conference.
• Sustained success. Over the last 23 seasons, 21 OSU teams finished with a winning record and made a bowl appearance. Eight of those teams achieved at least 10 victories. The Gundy-era bowl record is 12-6. OSU prevailed in three of its four most recent Bedlam games, and in nine of its last 14 meetings with Texas. Gundy-coached Cowboy squads recorded four consecutive wins in Austin (2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015). No other visiting program ever had been a winner in four consecutive football games played on the University of Texas’ home turf.
• Television numbers. As Leitch and Gundy insist, decision-makers probably would be more influenced by TV ratings than by a run of 21 winning seasons in 23 years.
That is why I believe that Oklahoma State would be on the positive side of the bubble, when the ultimate exercise in college athletics politics reaches the point at which the ultimate decisions are made: who actually gets into a super conference?
The current Big 12 lineup: Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Kansas, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Iowa State, West Virginia, Houston, UCF, Cincinnati, Colorado, BYU, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State.
These statistics apply to today’s Big 12 Conference membership:
• Over the last 10 football seasons, Oklahoma State ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 in total television viewers.
• Over the last 10 seasons, OSU trails only Colorado in average per-game viewership. Because of the presence of Deion Sanders as the Colorado coach, the Buffaloes’ television figures have skyrocketed over the last two seasons.
• In 2015-24, 20 OSU football telecasts had an audience of at least 3.75 million viewers. In the current Big 12, the next-best such total is Colorado’s 15. In 12 of those 15 games, Sanders was on the Colorado sideline.
• During the last nine seasons (2016-24), Oklahoma State played in by far the most football games – 60 – that were presented by one of the top five college football carriers: ABC, ESPN, CBS, FOX and NBC.
Last week, during our Extra Gundy time at the Sherman E. Smith Training Center, the Cowboy coach unveiled his belief that a 32-team super conference would be assembled and open for business in time for the 2027 season.
I asked Gundy whether he has any concern that OSU would not be one of the 32 – if, in fact, the super league were limited to 32 teams.
“We would be right now (based on) our track record,” Gundy replied. “If you look at everything they look for – wins, long-term consistency, marketability and (national recognition) of your brand – we are 19th (in the metrics) that the media people look at.”
I don’t know what source Gundy accessed to get his No. 19 national viability ranking for the OSU football program. He said it was shared with him by “one of my people.”
During our Extra Gundy session, there was no talk of an additional factor that also feels like an OSU plus: the consistency of impressive attendance and ticket sales since 2009.
The Cowboy program’s television profile does seem to support Gundy’s confidence that Oklahoma State won’t be on the wrong side of the super-conference selection bubble – if or when there is such a process.
Bill Haisten: TV profile would place OSU on the right side of a super-conference bubble
- Apr 12, 2025 Updated 8 hrs ago
Bill Haisten
Tulsa World Sports Columnist & WriterIn an opinion piece penned for CNN, author/columnist Will Leitch summed up the state of big-time college football.
“All that drives decision-making now,” Leitch wrote, “is television ratings.”
Following Mike Gundy’s Q&A with media members last week, there was an additional 10-minute Fireside Chat – an off-to-the-side talk with the Tulsa World’s Berry Tramel and me. We used to get Extra Gundy on a frequent basis. It hasn’t happened as often over the last few years, but when it does, it always has value.
In a discussion of his prediction that there soon will be the development of a 32-team super conference, Oklahoma State’s football coach expressed his belief that the Cowboy program would be a member.
On having a brand that appeals to television viewers, Gundy said, “That’s the only thing that matters. I don’t care who likes who. It’s all based on the (networks) and who they’re going to pay to put on TV.”
If this hypothetical super conference is limited to 32 schools, I don’t know that it’s a slam-dunk certainty that OSU would be on the roster.
To ensure coast-to-coast and border-to-border engagement, the most marketable level of college football can’t be limited only to schools currently in the SEC and the Big Ten, along with Notre Dame.
I don’t expect there to be a 32-team conference. I would expect it to be 48 teams.
There are probably 20 schools with football that resembles OSU football with its 50,000-seat stadium, mid-sized fan base and mid-sized resources. Two factors, however, would seem to separate Oklahoma State from some of the others that might be considered bubble candidates for the super conference.
• Sustained success. Over the last 23 seasons, 21 OSU teams finished with a winning record and made a bowl appearance. Eight of those teams achieved at least 10 victories. The Gundy-era bowl record is 12-6. OSU prevailed in three of its four most recent Bedlam games, and in nine of its last 14 meetings with Texas. Gundy-coached Cowboy squads recorded four consecutive wins in Austin (2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015). No other visiting program ever had been a winner in four consecutive football games played on the University of Texas’ home turf.
• Television numbers. As Leitch and Gundy insist, decision-makers probably would be more influenced by TV ratings than by a run of 21 winning seasons in 23 years.
That is why I believe that Oklahoma State would be on the positive side of the bubble, when the ultimate exercise in college athletics politics reaches the point at which the ultimate decisions are made: who actually gets into a super conference?
The current Big 12 lineup: Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Kansas, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Iowa State, West Virginia, Houston, UCF, Cincinnati, Colorado, BYU, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State.
These statistics apply to today’s Big 12 Conference membership:
• Over the last 10 football seasons, Oklahoma State ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 in total television viewers.
• Over the last 10 seasons, OSU trails only Colorado in average per-game viewership. Because of the presence of Deion Sanders as the Colorado coach, the Buffaloes’ television figures have skyrocketed over the last two seasons.
• In 2015-24, 20 OSU football telecasts had an audience of at least 3.75 million viewers. In the current Big 12, the next-best such total is Colorado’s 15. In 12 of those 15 games, Sanders was on the Colorado sideline.
• During the last nine seasons (2016-24), Oklahoma State played in by far the most football games – 60 – that were presented by one of the top five college football carriers: ABC, ESPN, CBS, FOX and NBC.
Last week, during our Extra Gundy time at the Sherman E. Smith Training Center, the Cowboy coach unveiled his belief that a 32-team super conference would be assembled and open for business in time for the 2027 season.
I asked Gundy whether he has any concern that OSU would not be one of the 32 – if, in fact, the super league were limited to 32 teams.
“We would be right now (based on) our track record,” Gundy replied. “If you look at everything they look for – wins, long-term consistency, marketability and (national recognition) of your brand – we are 19th (in the metrics) that the media people look at.”
I don’t know what source Gundy accessed to get his No. 19 national viability ranking for the OSU football program. He said it was shared with him by “one of my people.”
During our Extra Gundy session, there was no talk of an additional factor that also feels like an OSU plus: the consistency of impressive attendance and ticket sales since 2009.
The Cowboy program’s television profile does seem to support Gundy’s confidence that Oklahoma State won’t be on the wrong side of the super-conference selection bubble – if or when there is such a process.
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