ESPN's Dari Nowkhah believes that Oklahoma Sooners fans don't desire a return of the Bedlam Football Series with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and he doesn't see it coming back anytime soon
Dari Nowkhah, the lead anchor for ESPN’s SEC Network, knows Oklahoma football from just about every angle.
A Tulsa native who grew up cheering for the Sooners, he attended the University of Oklahoma, covered the team for years at KOTV in his hometown, and now hosts a daily radio show on KREF in Norman alongside his national TV duties.
That daily pulse-check with Sooner fans gives his perspective particular credibility when the topic turns to one of the state’s most debated questions: Should the Bedlam football series between OU and Oklahoma State ever come back?
During a recent appearance on Michael W. Bratton’s That SEC Podcast, Nowkhah addressed the issue head-on, and his take might surprise those who assume in-state rivalries are always sacred.
When asked whether OU fans are clamoring to revive the annual matchup, he shared what he’s hearing on the airwaves and in conversations around the program.
“Doing daily radio in a station in Oklahoma, what I have kind of picked up is, I don’t think OU fans miss it,” Nowkhah said. He went on to note a surprising counter-narrative from some Cowboys supporters: “There are some OSU fans that will even tell you that OU needs it more than them, which seems silly.”
He then turned to the practical realities facing both programs. “I’ve talked to a lot of people at OU about it,” he explained. “Oklahoma State has a lot of non-conference slots that have already been scheduled out. They’ve got Alabama coming up. They’ve got Oregon. They’ve got other non-conference matchups that I’ve been told that they don’t want to get rid of, to make room for OU.”
Looking ahead, Nowkhah was skeptical about timing. “I think if it ever happens, it’s gonna be, maybe it could be, another 10 years, and we could be in the mid 30s, late 30s, before spots really open up for both to make that happen. I don’t know if it will ever be an annual thing.”
He didn’t shy away from his personal affection for the series—“I love Bedlam to be honest”—but he questioned its necessity in the current landscape. “But you know, playing these programs in the SEC every year, I don’t know if it is necessary to bring it back. I like that men’s basketball does it, women’s basketball does it, baseball does it, softball does it ya know. But I don’t know that it has a place in football anymore, which in some ways is a shame.”
Nowkhah closed on a reflective note, acknowledging the emotional tug. “Growing up in that state ya know, I remember seeing (and) going to many Bedlams in Norman and in Stillwater and it was always great. So I miss it a little bit, but I don’t think there’s this huge pull to try to get it back.”
That measured view stands in contrast to recent developments.
The mayors of Norman and Stillwater have advocated for legislation that would pressure the schools to resume football Bedlam.
Meanwhile, new Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris has voiced interest in bringing the series back, a clear departure from former coach Mike Gundy’s firm opposition after OU’s move to the SEC.
Nowkhah’s comments align with the broader context of Oklahoma’s conference realignment. The Sooners’ jump to the SEC wasn’t solely financial; it was about elevating their program to compete annually against the nation’s elite like Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Texas, and more, while preserving the Red River Rivalry.
Fans have embraced the upgraded road environments, trading smaller Big 12 venues like TCU or Kansas for the electric atmospheres of Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tiger Stadium, and Sanford Stadium.
Scheduling logistics further complicate any quick return.
Oklahoma typically reserves one premium non-conference Power Four slot each year (such as the 2025 and 2026 matchupz with Michigan) to showcase the program on a national stage.
Using that spot for an in-state rival would limit those branding opportunities.
Oklahoma State, likewise, has committed to high-profile non-conference games it values and according to Nowkhah, the Pokes have no desire to cancel those games to schedule the Sooners.
Bedlam football remains alive in other sports, delivering the rivalry fix fans want without crowding the football calendars. A future revival isn’t impossible.
Scheduling gaps could open in the 2030s, but Nowkhah’s radio-ear insight suggests the urgency simply isn’t there on the OU side.
For a program that chose to play among college football’s giants, the old in-state grudge match no longer feels essential, even if it still stirs memories for those who grew up attending those classic Norman-Stillwater battles.
In the end, Nowkhah’s balanced take of part nostalgia, and part pragmatism, reflects the new priorities in modern college football.
Tradition matters, but so do conference fit, national exposure, and long-term scheduling flexibility.
You might not agree or like what Nowkhah said, but he is right.
For now, at least, the football version of Bedlam appears destined to stay on the sidelines.