List of Oklahoma Sooners football seasons

Sixteen young men in American football uniform, and two older men in jackets, sitting in three rows.
The undefeated Sooners team of 1915
Football players run onto a football field in two rows under a crimson banner.
The Sooners enter the field for a game during the 2007 season.

The Oklahoma Sooners college football team compete as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing the University of Oklahoma in the Southeastern Conference. Oklahoma has played their home games at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma since 1923.[1]

The Sooners claim seven national championships. They have also recorded 50 conference championships,[2] 12 undefeated and untied regular seasons,[a][3] and the longest winning streak in Division I history with 47 straight victories. The Oklahoma football program is one of the most successful programs in history, having won 944 games[4] and possessing a .725 winning percentage,[5] both sixth all time. As of the end of the 2022 season, Oklahoma has appeared in the AP poll 882 times,[6] including 101 No. 1 rankings,[7] both third all time.

Football was introduced to the university by John A. Harts in 1895. Harts, a student from Kansas who had played the game in his home state,[8] presided over a single game, a loss to a more experienced team from the Oklahoma City High School.[9] The university had its first paid coach in Vernon Louis Parrington, who led the Sooners to a record of nine wins, one loss, and two ties over four seasons.[10] Hired in 1905, Bennie Owen brought Oklahoma to the national stage during his 22-year tenure as head coach. He retired with a 122–54–16 record, including four seasons in which the team went unbeaten.[11] During Owen's tenure, Oklahoma became a charter member of the Southwest Conference, in which they remained for five years before leaving to join the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association.[12] The MVIAA conference would later transform into the Big Six, Big Seven, and finally the Big Eight Conference.

In 1947, Oklahoma promoted Bud Wilkinson, then an assistant coach, to head coach.[13] Wilkinson led the Sooners to national championships in 1950, 1955 and 1956,[14] as well as a stretch of 47 consecutive victories that began in 1953 and ended in 1957.[15] Wilkinson's tenure included a streak of 13 consecutive conference championships (in addition to one by his predecessor).[2] After 17 seasons at the helm, Wilkinson retired with a 145–29–4 record.[14]

Oklahoma continued to perform well after Wilkinson left, but only returned to the national title picture following the promotion of Barry Switzer to head coach in 1973. The Sooners won the Big Eight in each of his first eight years as coach and earned national championships in 1974 and 1975.[16] Switzer added Oklahoma's sixth national championship in 1985 and bested Wilkinson's school record for victories by a coach, stepping down prior to the 1989 season with a 157–29–4 record.[16]

After a decline that lasted more than a decade, Oklahoma again won the national championship in 2000, after coach Bob Stoops had been hired the previous year.[17] By then Oklahoma had joined a new conference, the Big 12 Conference, formed as a combination of the Big Eight Conference and four Texas schools of the defunct Southwest Conference.[18] Stoops coached 239 games during his time at Oklahoma, winning 191 of them. Both figures are the most of any coach in school history.[19] Stoops won ten conference championships[17] and led the Sooners to the BCS National Championship Game four times. However, 2000 remains Oklahoma's most recent championship game victory. Lincoln Riley, who succeeded Stoops as coach in 2017, took the Sooners to the College Football Playoff four times, losing in the semifinal round on each occasion. Following Riley's departure, current head coach Brent Venables was appointed to the position.

Through the 2023 season, Oklahoma has compiled an overall record of 944 wins, 341 losses, and 53 ties. The Sooners have appeared in 57 bowl games,[20] most recently in the 2023 Alamo Bowl, with 31 bowl victories, 25 losses and 1 tie in their history.

Seasons

National Champions † Conference Champions * Division Champions ‡ Bowl game berth College Football Playoff game § Shared standing T Not applicable
Season Head coach Division Season results Championship and postseason results Final ranking
Conference Overall AP Coaches'
Finish
[note 1] 		Win(s) Loss(es) Tie(s)[note 2] Win(s) Loss(es) Tie(s)[note 2]
Oklahoma Sooners
Independent (1895–1914)
1895 John A. Harts 0 1 0
1896 No coach 2 0 0
1897 Vernon L. Parrington 2 0 0
1898 2 0 0
1899 2 1 0
1900 3 1 1
1901 Fred Roberts 3 2 0
1902 Mark McMahon 6 3 0
1903 5 4 3
1904 Fred Ewing 4 3 1
1905 Bennie Owen 7 2 0
1906 5 2 2
1907 4 4 0
1908 8 1 1
1909 6 4 0
1910 4 2 1
1911 8 0 0
1912 5 4 0
1913 6 2 0
1914 9 1 1
Southwest Conference (1915–1919)
1915 * Bennie Owen T–1st 3 0 0 10 0 0
1916 T–3rd 2 1 0 6 5 0
1917 3rd 1 1 1 6 4 1
1918 * 1st 2 0 0 6 0 0
1919 3rd 2 1 0 5 3 2
Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1920–1928)
1920 * Bennie Owen 1st 4 0 1 6 0 1
1921 T–7th 2 3 0 5 3 0
1922 6th 1 2 2 2 3 3
1923 6th 2 4 0 3 5 0
1924 6th 2 3 1 2 5 1
1925 5th 3 3 1 4 1 3
1926 5th 3 2 1 5 2 1
1927 Adrian Lindsey T–7th 2 3 0 3 3 2
1928 T–2nd 3 2 0 5 3 0
Big Six Conference (1929–1947)
1929 Adrian Lindsey 4th 2 2 1 3 3 2
1930 2nd 3 1 1 4 1 3
1931 T–5th 1 4 0 4 7 1
1932 Lewie Hardage T–2nd 3 2 0 4 4 1
1933 3rd 3 2 0 4 4 1
1934 3rd 2 2 1 3 4 2
1935 Biff Jones 2nd 3 2 0 6 3 0
1936 4th 1 2 2 3 3 3
1937 Thomas E. Stidham 2nd 3 1 1 5 2 2
1938 * 1st 5 0 0 10 1 0 Lost Orange Bowl against Tennessee, 17–0 4
1939 3rd 3 2 0 6 2 1 19
1940 2nd 4 1 0 6 3 0
1941 Dewey Luster T–2nd 3 2 0 6 3 0
1942 2nd 3 1 1 3 5 2
1943 * 1st 6 0 0 7 2 0
1944 * 1st 4 0 1 6 3 1
1945 2nd 4 1 0 5 5 0
1946 * Jim Tatum T–1st 4 1 0 8 3 0 Won Gator Bowl against NC State, 34–13 14
1947 * Bud Wilkinson T–1st 4 0 1 7 2 1 16
Big Seven Conference (1948–1958)
1948 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 5 0 0 10 1 0 Won Sugar Bowl against North Carolina, 14–6 5
1949 * 1st 5 0 0 11 0 0 Won Sugar Bowl against LSU, 35–0 2
1950 †* 1st 6 0 0 10 1 0 Lost Sugar Bowl against Kentucky, 13–7 1 1
1951 * 1st 6 0 0 8 2 0 10 11
1952 * 1st 5 0 1 8 1 1 4 4
1953 * 1st 6 0 0 9 1 1 Won Orange Bowl against Maryland, 7–0 4 5
1954 * 1st 6 0 0 10 0 0 Consecutive bowl appearances prohibited by conference[22][23] 3 3
1955 †* 1st 6 0 0 11 0 0 Won Orange Bowl against Maryland, 20–6 1 1
1956 †* 1st 6 0 0 10 0 0 Consecutive bowl appearances prohibited by conference[24] 1 1
1957 * 1st 6 0 0 10 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Duke, 48–21 4 4
1958 * 1st 7 0 0 10 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Syracuse, 21–6 5 5
Big Eight Conference (1959–1995)
1959 * Bud Wilkinson 1st 6 1 0 7 3 0 15 15
1960 5th 2 4 1 3 6 1 Ineligible due to N.C.A.A. probation[25]
1961 4th 4 3 0 5 5 0
1962 * 1st 7 0 0 8 3 0 Lost Orange Bowl against Alabama, 17–0 8 7
1963 2nd 6 1 0 8 2 0 9 8
1964 Gomer Jones 2nd 5 1 1 6 4 1 Lost Gator Bowl against Florida State, 36–19
1965 5th 3 4 0 3 7 0
1966 Jim Mackenzie 5th 4 3 0 6 4 0
1967 * Chuck Fairbanks 1st 7 0 0 10 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Tennessee, 26–24 3 3
1968 * T–1st 6 1 0 7 4 0 Lost Bluebonnet Bowl against SMU, 28–27 11 10
1969 4th 4 3 0 6 4 0
1970 T–2nd 5 2 0 7 4 1 Tied Bluebonnet Bowl against Alabama, 24–24 20 15
1971 2nd 6 1 0 11 1 0 Won Sugar Bowl against Auburn, 40–22 2 3
1972 * 1st 6 1 0 11 1 0 Won Sugar Bowl against Penn State, 14–0 2 2
1973 * Barry Switzer 1st 7 0 0 10 0 1 Ineligible due to N.C.A.A. probation[26]
1974 †* 1st 7 0 0 11 0 0 Ineligible due to N.C.A.A. probation[26]
1975 †* 1st 6 1 0 11 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Michigan, 14–6 1 1
1976 * T–1st 5 2 0 9 2 1 Won Fiesta Bowl against Wyoming, 41–7 5 6
1977 * 1st 7 0 0 10 2 0 Lost Orange Bowl against Arkansas, 31–6 7 6
1978 * T–1st 6 1 0 11 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Nebraska, 31–24 3 3
1979 * 1st 7 0 0 11 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Florida State, 24–7 3 3
1980 * 1st 7 0 0 10 2 0 Won Orange Bowl against Florida State, 18–17 3 3
1981 2nd 4 2 1 7 4 1 Won Sun Bowl against Houston, 40–14 20 14
1982 2nd 6 1 0 8 4 0 Lost Fiesta Bowl against Arizona State, 32–21 16 16
1983 2nd 5 2 0 8 4 0
1984 * T–1st 6 1 0 9 2 1 Lost Orange Bowl against Washington, 28–17 6 6
1985 †* 1st 7 0 0 11 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Penn State, 25–10 1 1
1986 * 1st 7 0 0 11 1 0 Won Orange Bowl against Arkansas, 42–8 3 3
1987 * 1st 7 0 0 11 1 0 Lost Orange Bowl against Miami, 20–14 3 3
1988 2nd 6 1 0 9 3 0 Lost Citrus Bowl against Clemson, 13–6 14 14
1989 Gary Gibbs 3rd 5 2 0 7 4 0 Ineligible due to N.C.A.A. probation[27]
1990 T–2nd 5 2 0 8 3 0 Ineligible due to N.C.A.A. probation[27]
1991 3rd 5 2 0 9 3 0 Won Gator Bowl against Virginia, 48–14 16 14
1992 4th 3 2 2 5 4 2
1993 4th 4 3 0 9 3 0 Won John Hancock Bowl against Texas Tech, 41–10 17 14
1994 4th 4 3 0 6 6 0 Lost Copper Bowl against BYU, 31–6
1995 Howard Schnellenberger T–5th 2 5 0 5 5 1
Big 12 Conference (1996–2023)
1996 John Blake South 4th 3 5 3 8
1997 South T-4th 2 6 4 8
1998 South T-4th 3 5 5 6
1999 Bob Stoops South T–2nd 5 3 7 5 Lost Independence Bowl against Ole Miss, 27–25
2000 †* South 1st 8 0 13 0 Won Orange Bowl against Florida State, 13–2 1 1
2001 South 2nd 6 2 11 2 Won Cotton Bowl Classic against Arkansas, 10–3 6 6
2002 * South 1st 6 2 12 2 Won Rose Bowl against Washington State, 34–14 5 5
2003 ‡ South 1st 8 0 12 2 Lost Sugar Bowl against LSU, 21–14 3 3
2004 * South 1st 8 0 12 1 Lost Orange Bowl against USC, 55–19 3 3
2005 South T–2nd 6 2 8 4 Won Holiday Bowl against Oregon, 17–14 22 22
2006 * South 1st 7 1 11 3 Lost Fiesta Bowl against Boise State, 43–42 (OT) 11 11
2007 * South 1st 6 2 11 3 Lost Fiesta Bowl against West Virginia, 48–28 8 8
2008 * South T–1st 7 1 12 2 Lost BCS Championship Game against Florida, 24–14 5 5
2009 South T-3rd 5 3 8 5 Won Sun Bowl against Stanford, 31–27
2010 * South T–1st 6 2 12 2 Won Fiesta Bowl against UConn, 48–20 6 6
2011 T–3rd 6 3 10 3 Won Insight Bowl against Iowa, 31–14 16 15
2012 * T–1st 8 1 10 3 Lost Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M, 41–13 15 15
2013 T–2nd 7 2 11 2 Won Sugar Bowl against Alabama, 45–31 6 6
2014 T–4th 5 4 8 5 Lost Russell Athletic Bowl against Clemson, 40–6
2015 * 1st 8 1 11 2 Lost Orange Bowl against Clemson, 37–17 § 5 5
2016 * 1st 9 0 11 2 Won Sugar Bowl against Auburn, 35–19 5 3
2017 * Lincoln Riley 1st 8 1 12 2 Lost Rose Bowl against Georgia, 54–48 2OT § 3 3
2018 * 1st 8 1 12 2 Lost Orange Bowl against Alabama, 45–34 § 4 4
2019 * 1st 8 1 12 2 Lost Peach Bowl against LSU 63-28 § 7 6
2020 * 1st 6 2 9 2 Won Cotton Bowl against Florida 55–20 6 6
2021 Lincoln Riley
Bob Stoops 		3rd 7 2 11 2 Won Alamo Bowl against Oregon 47–32 10 10
2022 Brent Venables T-7th 3 6 6 7 Lost Cheez-It Bowl against Florida State 35–32
2023 T-2nd 7 2 10 3 Lost Alamo Bowl against Arizona 38–24 15 15
Southeastern Conference (2024–present)
2024 Brent Venables 0 0 0 0
Total 913 317 52 (only includes regular season games)
31 25 1 (only includes bowl games)
944 341 53 (all games)
  1. ^ When in a division, it shows their position within the division. Otherwise the overall position in the division-less conference is listed.
  2. ^ a b Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[21]

Notes

  1. ^ There have been 11 full seasons in which Oklahoma has won every game in which they played, including the postseason. The NCAA's methodology for determining an undefeated, untied season does not include Oklahoma's 1896, 1897, or 1898 campaigns, in which the Sooners won two games each without losing or tying. It does, however, include four seasons in which Oklahoma won each of their regular season games but lost their postseason bowl game (1938, 1950, 1987, and 2004).

References

  1. ^ "Oklahoma Memorial Stadium History". SoonerStats.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Conference Titles". SoonerSports. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  3. ^ "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. pp. 179–180. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  4. ^ "All-Time Wins". Winsipedia. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  5. ^ "All-Time Record (Winning %)". Winsipedia. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  6. ^ "Weeks in Poll". Winsipedia. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  7. ^ "Weeks at AP No. 1". Winsipedia. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  8. ^ Keith, Harold (September 1942). "Football Ups and Downs". Sooner Magazine. Vol. 15, no. 1. pp. 12–13, 54. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  9. ^ Hume, C. Ross (November 1936). "Football myths". Sooner Magazine. Vol. 9, no. 2. pp. 36–37. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  10. ^ "Vernon Parrington". SoonerStats.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  11. ^ "Bennie Owen". SoonerStats.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  12. ^ Dozier, Ray (2006). Moyer, Susan (ed.). The Oklahoma Football Encyclopedia. Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing, L.L.C. pp. 24–31. ISBN 978-1-58261-699-5.
  13. ^ Cross, George Lynn (September 1977). Presidents Can't Punt: The OU Football Tradition. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-1419-3.
  14. ^ a b "Bud Wilkinson". SoonerStats.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  15. ^ "OU football tradition – 47 game winning streak". SoonerSports. Archived from the original on June 27, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
  16. ^ a b "Barry Switzer". SoonerStats.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Bob Stoops". SoonerStats.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  18. ^ Moran, Malcolm (August 25, 1996). "Despite Complications, Big 12 Is Instant Commercial Hit". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 23, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  19. ^ "Football Head Coaches". SoonerStats.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  20. ^ "Bowl Games". Winsipedia. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  21. ^ Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 7, 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2008.
  22. ^ "Busy scoreboard eyed as Duke, Nebraska tangle". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 1, 1955. p. 8. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  23. ^ Funk, Ben (January 2, 1955). "Duke rips Huskers 34-7". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. p. 1C. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  24. ^ Miller, Norman (December 4, 1956). "Oklahoma voted grid champion in final AP and UP polls". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). United Press. p. 23. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  25. ^ White, Gordon (April 19, 1973). "OKLAHOMA AGREES TO FORFEIT GAMES". New York Times. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  26. ^ a b "A 2‐Year Bowl Ban For Okla". New York Times. August 9, 1973. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  27. ^ a b Jenkins, Sally (December 19, 1988). "OKLAHOMA TO GET PROBATION". Washington Post.
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