OU football: Not even OU-Texas date finalized

How big is the Big 12 scheduling mess for the 2012 football season? Not even the OU-Texas game has a firm date.

The Sooners and Longhorns tentatively are scheduled for Oct. 6, and there’s a good chance the game will remain there. But it’s not for sure. I wouldn’t go planning a wedding for Oct. 13, if you’re trying to avoid OU-Texas.

Not even the State Fair of Texas web site offers up a date for OU-Texas or Grambling-Prairie View, the historic staples of games at the Cotton Bowl during the fair’s 24-day run.

I wrote about the Big 12 scheduling fiasco for the Wednesday Oklahoman. You can read it here.  

OU athletic director Joe Castiglione told me Tuesday night that only the Notre Dame game, Oct. 27, has an ironclad date. No way could or would the Sooners allow that game to be moved. It’s been set for too long, and Notre Dame already has its schedule set.

OU-Texas, theoritically, could be moved to help the Big 12 schedule meet all the parameters it’s working on. Oct. 20 would certainly seem to be out of the question — Oct. 17 (2009) is the latest the series has been played in modern times — but Oct. 13 would not be.

Castiglione said he’s got several scenarios brewing for OU’s schedule, depending on the West Virginia situation. Right now, the Sooners must add two non-conference games. One was already needed, then TCU’s addition to the Big 12 in October added another, since OU was scheduled to play at the Horned Frogs.

Joe C. indicated the Sooners would end up with a workable schedule, it would just be very late and very inconvenient for those trying to plan.

And the biggest social event of the season, OU-Texas, has not even been slated. What a mess.