Oklahoma to Set to Host ESPN's College GameDay

Brent Venables’ Sooners open with the Illinois State Redbirds on Saturday at 5 p.m., while Michigan will kick off the 2025 season with New Mexico.

Week 2 will mark the second time in as many years that GameDay has travelled to Norman. 

Oklahoma hosted the show last year for its first-ever SEC game against Tennessee. 

The Sooners lost that contest 25-15 on Sept. 21, 2024.

Next week will be OU’s 42nd appearance all-time on ESPN College GameDay. 

Read More Oklahoma Football

• Oklahoma-Illinois State Preview: Sooners on SI Staff Picks
• One Big Thing: The One Area Oklahoma Must Be Way Better in 2025
• Oklahoma's Defensive Turnaround Can Serve as Blueprint for Ben Arbuckle's Offense

Only the Ohio State Buckeyes (63), the Alabama Crimson Tide (60) and the Florida Gators (42) have appeared as many times as the Sooners, and it will be Michigan’s 41st appearance on College GameDay. 

The Sooners also own the fourth-best winning percentage (.659) all-time on GameDay. They trail USC (.750), TCU (.727) and Ohio State (.677).

Prior to last year’s matchup with Tennessee, the normal College GameDay set hadn’t been on campus in Norman since OU hosted Notre Dame in 2012 (2020’s edition of Bedlam was also selected for College GameDay, though it was a remote setup due to the pandemic).

Next Saturday will mark GameDay’s ninth trip to Norman. 

Michigan is traveling to Norman for the first time next weekend. 

The Sooners and the Wolverines have only met once in program history. 

OU beat Michigan 14-6 on Jan. 1, 1976, in the Orange Bowl to capture the program’s fifth national title. 

Next year, the Sooners will make the return trip to take the field in the Big House for the first time. 

Before taking on the Wolverines, fans will get their first peek at new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer on Saturday. 

Both Arbuckle and Mateer joined the program from Washington State this past offseason. 

The Sooners kick off a make-or-break 2025 season for Brent Venables with the Illinois State Redbirds.

Kickoff between OU and Illinois State at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is slated for 5 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and SEC Network+.