Sooners can encounter a financial roadblock in getting their next Athletic Director that they have no issue getting over

Castiglione is one of the longest tenured ADs in college sports and has been able to bring the Sooners several National Championships in a few different sports, while also bringing in a ton of money. According to OU President Joseph Harroz, when Castiglione took over in 1998, Oklahoma was in debt of $18 million with a $23 million budget. Today, OU operates as a $235 million “enterprise" and is one of the biggest sports programs in the country.

The work that he has done has been awesome, even if some have called his job a handful of times over the last few years. But, it's time to move on to something else now for the Sooners. They need a new AD, and they will need one fairly quickly, because that 2025 season will come and go very quickly.

All signs are pointing towards a potential reunion with Zac Selmon, the Mississippi State AD, because of his connection with OU in several different positions over the last handful of years. But that could provide a roadblock for the Sooners.

According to Sam Sklar, Selmon signed a contract extension at MSU in February through Jan. 31, 2029. His salary is $1.25 million annually right now, and raises by $25k each year if his contract is renewed. Selmon's buyout, if he were to leave for any SEC school, would be 75% of his remaining salary.

Luckily, OU can pay that. And, they will have to if they really want him.

Zac Selmon's time at Mississippi State

The tenure of Selmon in Starkville, Mississippi, has been a bit of a mixed bag of results so far. The hire of Jeff Lebby hasn’t reaped any benefits quite yet, but that was always going to be the case in a full rebuild of the program once Zach Arnett and co. tore it down following Mike Leach’s passing.

As for the diamond, Selmon secured Virginia’s Brian O’Connor, an elite college baseball mind and proven winner, as the program’s new head coach to replace Chris Lemonis. During this past season, the Bulldogs’ men’s and women’s basketball teams both made the NCAA Tournament in the same season for the second time in three years. Mississippi State has also emerged as a consistent SEC force in women’s soccer, and the golf teams have won their first conference titles under Selmon’s tutelage. Selmon’s impact has also been fueled on the economic side at Mississippi State.

This piece of the puzzle could interest Oklahoma the most, as they look to continue building a strong infrastructure to sustain success across many different sports. Selmon has led multiple strong fundraising campaigns, including garnering an $8 million gift toward the State Excellence Fund, the new Mississippi State Athletics fund of the future. For the Sooners, bringing Selmon back to where he learned so much under Castiglione may just make too much sense to pass it up. - Adam Holt, A to Z Sports College