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The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents agreed Thursday to award a contract to American Airlines to provide air charter services to the Sooner football team for road games during the 2008 football season.

The contract is worth $436,724 to American, which beat out solicitations from more than a dozen competitors.

The Regents also awarded a separate contract to Northwest Airlines in the amount of $148,504 to fly the Pride of Oklahoma marching band to Seattle next fall when the Sooners play Washington.

The Regents also approved an estimated $1.5 million to go toward upgrades to OU's video production equipment at athletic venues.

By Jake Trotter