Oklahoma football is trying to fill Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium against Ole Miss following its schedule debacle.
With the game being delayed to Sunday, Nov. 15, on short notice, the school announced a series of fan accommodations with attendance potentially impacted. The game will be free to all students, beer and other concessions will be $2 and attendees will also receive free tickets to future Oklahoma sporting events, including the Sooners' men's basketball game against Syracuse in December. Merchandise inside the stadium will also be discounted, according to the announcement.
Free tickets and $2 beer on a Sunday in November
sounds like a dream scenario for most 20-somethings in college, even with heavy rain and cold temperatures expected. It's also clear Oklahoma wants to pack the house against Ole Miss, with both fanbases developing quite the animosity this week.
Oklahoma fans and administrators are livid after Ole Miss was unable to travel to Norman, Oklahoma, on time for its previously scheduled kickoff time of 4:15 p.m. ET on Nov. 14. The travel issues stem from the Federal Aviation Administration issuing a ground stop for multiple hours on Nov. 13 due to a safety issue with air traffic control.
Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny said the game being moved "isn't fair" to the school's student-athletes. The SEC later threatened to make Oklahoma forfeit if it didn't agree to the new kickoff time.
The unfortunate series of events resulted in the only college football game nationally being played on Nov. 15, despite the ground halt impacting numerous other programs across the country.
Oklahoma-Ole Miss being moved to 1 p.m. ET on Nov. 15 resulted in plenty of logistical problems, including multiple other Sooners sporting events being moved. Oklahoma volleyball (vs. Vanderbilt) and wrestling (vs. Penn State) both had their competitions moved to 7 p.m. ET due to the football game, with the women's basketball team's game against Southern rescheduled to Dec. 17.
It likely won't be a full house when Oklahoma and Ole Miss play a rare college football game on a Sunday with the NFL underway. Maybe its promotions can help the cause, especially with a budding rivalry developing.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oklahoma offers $2 beer, free tickets for students after Ole Miss scheduling saga
