Oklahoma’s football headlines have been loud enough to drown out just about everything else around campus this week, but there’s still plenty happening beyond the chaos at the top of the board.
The Sooners’ men’s basketball team gets another crack at finding some footing Friday night, and after the way the opener went, it needs one. Porter Moser’s group opened the 2026-27 season with a 68-64 loss to East Texas A&M as a 28.5-point favorite, a result that landed far short of expectations.
Now OU returns to McCasland Field House for the annual McCasland Game against Mississippi Valley State, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. CT Friday, Nov.
Mississippi Valley State went 3-30 last season, and one of those losses came in a 93-69 defeat to Oklahoma. On paper, this should be the kind of game the Sooners use to steady themselves. But the opener already showed how quickly that script can go sideways.
Fans can watch the game on SECN+, and it will also be carried on the Sooners Sports Radio Network, including KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City, KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa, and the Varsity Radio App.
On the women’s side, Aaliyah Chavez is already operating in rare air. The OU sophomore point guard was one of 15 players named to the Wade Trophy Watch List on Wednesday, and she was the only underclassman included. That alone says plenty about where she stands nationally.
Chavez enters her second season after being named ESPN National Freshman of the Year and CBS Sports National Freshman of the Year last year, a campaign that matched the hype that followed her as the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class. She wasted no time backing it up in OU’s season-opening upset of No.
12 North Carolina, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals. That was also the 29th straight game in which she scored in double figures.
There’s also postseason recognition for Oklahoma soccer. Three Sooners picked up All-SEC honors as the regular season gave way to tournament play. Kayla Keefer made First-Team All-SEC, Elle Canty landed on the Third Team, and Kate McCallister was named SEC All-Freshman.
Keefer’s season was strong enough to stand out nationally. She led the country in goals with 20 and points with 43, and she ranked second in goals per game at 1.11. She also set the OU single-season goals and points records.
The Sooners enter the SEC Tournament as the No. 7 seed and will face No. 10 Georgia at 11:30 a.m. CT Sunday in Pensacola, Florida.
In Other News...
Big 12 Shakeup Could Change What Oklahoma Is Up Against
The Big 12 is heading into a leadership transition at a moment when the leagues direction matters plenty to Oklahoma. Commissioner Brett Yormark said he will step down on Jan. 31, ending a run that helped shape the conference through a stretch of real change and uncertainty. For the Sooners, who have long had to track every shift in the Big 12 landscape, the timing adds another layer of intrigue to a league already in motion.
Yormark said he plans to take a new role outside of college athletics, leaving the conference to sort out its next chapter without one of its most visible voices. For Oklahoma, the bigger question is what kind of Big 12 emerges from here and how that affects the competitive terrain around it. A change at the top does not alter the Sooners immediate business, but it does matter for the long view, especially in a conference where leadership decisions can ripple quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Gets An Early Chance To Calm Growing Concern Around Porter Moser
Porter Moser is already feeling the heat in Norman after Oklahoma opened the season with a loss to East Texas A&M, a stumble that only sharpened the questions around a program trying to find its footing. The Sooners do not have much time to let that linger, with Mississippi Valley State up next and a chance to steady things before the early-season noise gets any louder.
Oklahoma is also hoping for help on the injury front, with Xzayvier Brown a possible return that would give the rotation a needed lift. Mississippi Valley State arrives in Mike Daviss first season at the helm and has a difficult schedule in front of it, but the Delta Devils are also trying to build something after several rough years, which makes this one more than just a tune-up for the Sooners. [Read more 🡒]
David Stones NFL Buzz Leaves One Big Question For Oklahoma Fans
USA TODAY Sports has already started looking ahead to 2027, and one of the more interesting projections for Oklahoma centers on defensive tackle David Stone. The mock draft has the New York Giants taking the five-star recruit with the 17th pick, a nod to the kind of early buzz Stone has built with a pair of notable performances this season against New Mexico and Mississippi State.
For Oklahoma fans, the projection is flattering, but it also comes with a familiar question about how long Stone will be around in Norman if his trajectory keeps rising. The Sooners are 4-4 and trying to steady their season with Florida next on the schedule, so the immediate focus is on getting back on track. Still, when a young defensive lineman is already showing up in future first-round conversations, it is the sort of development that tends to linger in the background. [Read more 🡒]