Oklahoma athletic director criticizes SEC decision to shift Ole Miss game to Sunday
Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny said the conference and Ole Miss did not make sufficient efforts to keep the game on Saturday, and warned that the Sunday schedule creates disadvantages for the Sooners.
Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny said the SEC and Ole Miss did not take adequate steps to keep the Sooners-Rebels matchup on Saturday, and that moving the game to Sunday places an unfair burden on Oklahoma fans and the program. In an interview with SoonerScoop, Denny noted that the game was originally set for a 4:15 p.m. Saturday kickoff and that Oklahoma would have been willing to play Saturday night if logistics allowed.
"It's inexplicable. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that they can't find a way to get here," Denny said, referring to Ole Miss' travel plans.
Ole Miss was unable to depart Oxford on Friday because of an FAA ground stoppage. The SEC said a late-night departure could not be accommodated by the team's charter partner, requiring a rescheduled departure for Saturday afternoon. Denny said Oklahoma received information from state highway and police officials late on Friday that Ole Miss expected to play on Sunday and would arrive late Saturday.
"The fact that we heard that from our highway patrol and not directly from the league office at that time is infuriating to me," Denny said.
Denny added that SEC commissioner Greg Sankey moved the game to Sunday over Oklahoma's objection and warned that a refusal to play at the directed time would result in a forfeit. He suggested the league could have required Ole Miss to appear for an earlier Saturday slot instead.
The Sooners have three other home events scheduled for Sunday, and Denny said he does not believe the SEC considered those conflicts when deciding to shift the football game. He also warned that the Sunday kickoff could create a competitive disadvantage for Oklahoma in its upcoming matchup against Texas A&M.
Denny, who was hired in January as Oklahoma's vice president and director of athletics, said the situation illustrates a broader issue of institutions making decisions that benefit their own interests at the expense of the conference and college football as a whole.