NORMAN — University of Oklahoma head men’s tennis coach Nick Crowell announced Luke Shields as associate head coach on Wednesday.

The 2020 Summer Olympics have been anything but ordinary for everyone involved. In the middle of it all has been Dr. Cody Commander, the Director of Psychological Resources for the University of Oklahoma Student-Athletes (PROS) and the first-ever mental health officer for Team USA.

The King has spoken.

Happy Tuesday, friends and fans!

The legendary Barry Switzer was a featured guest for ESPNU Radio on Sirius XM on Tuesday. There, he discussed his beloved Oklahoma Sooners and their eventual move to the SEC. In his estimation, OU will be a ‘top-tier team’ from the moment they join college football’s strongest conference.

Below is a clip of ‘The King’ detailing why he believes Oklahoma is poised for success in the Southeastern Conference. Switzer’s confidence is always a treat to listen to.

It’ll be exciting to see all the marquee matchups the Sooners are scheduled to play in once the conference realignment dust settles and they officially depart from the Big 12. Until then, there’s some business to take care of on the field right here in the heartland.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Single game OU season tickets are on sale, ‘Ice’ Trae inks mega deal with ATL, SGA gets paid to remain in OKC and more!

OU Links

• If Spencer Rattler actually pulls this off in a live collegiate football game this year, I will completely lose my mind (and so will Lincoln Riley, probably). The guy is just built different.

• Single game tickets and three-game mini plans are now available for purchase for the upcoming season of Oklahoma Football. After the capacity limitations in 2020, it’ll be nice to see a packed palace once again this fall. Boomer!

• There’s no doubt about it. In today’s college football, OU is by far and away ‘QBU’. ESPN’s David Hale details why he believes so in his annual look at which programs have produced the best as every position.
• Atlanta Hawks star point guard and former OU hoopster Trae Young has agreed to a five-year, $207 million designated rookie maximum extension. Get that bag, Trae!

• Speaking of former OU hoopers, Austin Reaves officially signed his two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

• Former OU women’s basketball star Stacey Dales and Sooners All-American offensive lineman Bob Kalsu were each inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame on Monday. Dales currently works for the NFL Network as a reporter and Kalsu made the ultimate sacrifice during his service in the Vietnam War.

Around the Sports World

• The Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have agreed to a five-year, $172 million rookie extension that will essentially secure the talented baller in place for the foreseeable future.
• LSU Tigers QB Myles Brennan has reportedly suffered a broken bone in his left arm that will require surgery. Before the injury, the redshirt senior signal caller had been vying for the starting job.
• Indianapolis Colts QB Carson Wentz underwent foot surgery on Monday and is expected to miss the next five to 12 weeks while he recovers.
• Philadelphia Eagles first round pick DeVonta Smith recently sustained an MCL sprain that will sideline him for the next two to three weeks. Fortunately for the 2020 Heisman Trophy winning WR out of Alabama, he’s expected to return just before the start of the 2021 NFL regular season.
• New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole — who is vaccinated — has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss his previously intended Tuesday start against the Baltimore Orioles.

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The Board of Regents approved the move this morning.

Happy Friday, friends and fans!

The Oklahoma Sooners officially accepted a formal invitation to join the SEC following a unanimous decision from OU’s Board of Regents meeting held on Friday. With this development, the Crimson & Cream are set to become a fully-fledged member of the Southeastern Conference by July 1, 2025, although there remains the possibility of making a move as early as the 2022-23 athletic year.

Earlier in the day, the Texas Longhorns also made things official on their end after the UT System Board of Regents unanimously voted to accept the SEC’s formal invite.

So what’s next for Oklahoma and Texas? First, there is still a Big 12 season to be played in football and across all the conference’s sports over the next 11 months. Beyond that, all sides involved will presumably work to expedite the move-out process in an effort to switch all things Sooners and Longhorns over to the SEC. For now, it’s no guarantee that this will happen over the next year, but considering how quickly we’ve reached this point, there’s as good a chance as any we’re looking at the final year of the Big 12 as we know it.

Now onto this week’s Friday edition of Hot Links! AR12 heads to the City of Angels, Spencer Rattler added to yet another watch list, Russ West heads to LA via trade and more!

OU Links

• Among the many points OU President Joseph Harroz addressed on Friday, one of the more intriguing bits was that the Sooners have a desire to continue the Bedlam rivalry with the Oklahoma State Cowboys beyond Oklahoma’s move to the SEC.

• Although he was not drafted, former Oklahoma men’s basketball star Austin Reaves signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. From here, he’ll have a chance to prove himself and earn his way onto the team or another. Good luck, my guy!
• On Friday, redshirt sophomore QB Spencer Rattler was named to the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Watch List. If he goes on to win the award this season, he’ll join Steve Owens (1969), Billy Sims (1978), Josh Heupel (2000) and Baker Mayfield (2017) as the only Sooners to take home the prestigious hardware.

• Best Online Sportsbooks’ Andrew Scofield recently shared some updated numbers for Oklahoma Football’s upcoming 2021 schedule, including win total predictions and Heisman odds.
• The OU Athletics Department announced a number of major gifts it’s received from several generous donors, including a $750,000 donation toward Patty Gasso’s world class softball program. Thank you, everybody! Boomer!

Around the Sports World

• On draft night, Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell. In LA, Russ is set to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the 2021-22 NBA season.
• In other NBA trade news, the Oklahoma City Thunder have acquired forward Derrick Favors and a future first round pick from the Utah Jazz for a future second round pick.
• In a shocking MLB development on Thursday, the New York Yankees acquired All-Star Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo via trade.
• The United State Women’s National Team is advancing to the Tokyo Olympics semifinals after defeating the Netherlands in thrilling fashion with penalty kicks.
• Former Denver Broncos TE Jake Butt recently announced his retirement from the NFL, citing he no longer experiences the same joy for the game he once had before.

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Only one more step is needed for Oklahoma to officially set sail for the Southeastern Conference.

Happy Thursday, friends and fans!

A contingent of SEC school presidents met on Thursday to formally accept the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns into the Southeastern Conference.

Needing a minimum of three-fourths approval (11 yes votes from the league’s current 14 teams), the necessary number of votes was apparently reached, resulting in an official invitation for OU and UT to become the newest members of the SEC family.

Board of Regents meetings for both Oklahoma and Texas are scheduled to convene on Friday morning to formally accept the SEC’s official invitation to the conference. From there, a timetable for how soon this will all come into effect going forward may become a bit more clear.

Now for today’s Hot Links! Bob Bowlsby takes action against the worldwide leader in sports, Cedarian Lamb jerseys are selling like hot cakes, the 2021 NBA Draft tips-off tonight and more!

OU Links

• On Wednesday, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby sent a cease-and-desist letter to ESPN, alleging that the sports network has manipulated its power by encouraging other leagues to scavenge the remaining Big 12 members while simultaneously assisting OU and Texas’ conference buyout as they begin their transition to the SEC.
• On Thursday, sophomore WR and punt returner Marvin Mims was named to the 2021 Hornung Award Watch List for his prowess as one of college football’s most versatile players.

• In other preseason awards-related news, senior safety Patrick Fields was named to the 2021 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List for his impactful role as a leader in community service in addition to his excellence on the field.

• Earlier this week, redshirt junior specialist Gabe Brkic was named to the 2021 Groza Award Watch List. This annual individual honor is reserved for the nation’s top collegiate placekicker. I expect big things from this young man this season. Boomer!

• When Porter Moser and his Oklahoma men’s basketball team show up to the 2021 Myrtle Beach Invitational this fall, the Sooners will open up tournament play against East Carolina. Tip-off is now officially scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. CT.

• ESPN college football guru Bill Connelly recently ranked all 130 FBS teams in terms of current program stability, and in his rankings, OU checked in as the fourth highest Big 12 team and No. 52 overall. Even as I understand his algorithm, we’ll have to agree to disagree.
• According to the NFLPA, from the beginning of March to the end of May, former Oklahoma and current Dallas Cowboys WR Ceedee Lamb had the league’s highest-selling officially licensed jersey for a non-QB. Among the overall top 50, Lamb checked in at No. 5, Baker Mayfield at No. 29, Jalen Hurts at No. 34 and Kyler Murray at No. 38.

Around the Sports World

• The Detroit Pistons are on the clock! Tonight at 7 p.m. CT on ABC, watch the 2021 NBA Draft. This year, Detroit has the first overall pick, and all signs point to that pick being Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham.

• Projected top-five picks Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga Bulldogs) and Evan Mobley (USC Trojans) have each recently signed multiyear endorsement deals with Adidas.
• Brooklyn Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni is reportedly stepping away from his full-time coaching role on Steve Nash’s staff.
• Ohio State Buckeyes 2022 five-star QB commit Quinn Ewers is facing a decision to either stay in high school for his senior year or enroll at OSU where he could potentially earn seven-figures in NIL offers.

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The Sooners are securing more depth in the trenches.

As Calvin Thibodeaux might say, “WAR DADDY ALERT!” Cedric Roberts has committed to the Sooners out of a great high school program in Pflugerville, Texas (Hendrickson HS)— the same school that brought Oklahoma a man-child named Samaje Perine. Roberts has chosen the Sooners over schools such as Baylor, Colorado, and several others.

Roberts may have surprised some with this commitment to Oklahoma this early, but once OU offered it was an easy decision for him. Standing at a frame of 6’4, 280lbs, the talented DL continually fits the bill of Alex Grinch’s platooning, position-less players in the trenches. By the time he’s redshirted, I assume Roberts will be somewhere around 6’5 290lbs after losing bad weight and building his body back up. The depth in the trenches now seems paramount with the impending move to the SEC. His film suggests that Roberts has an incredible motor and pursuit of the ball (or whoever is unlucky enough to be carrying it). Also, if Dave Aranda wants him after evaluations, I think it’s a good trail to be hot on. Lastly, like most young men in the trenches, pad level and leverage are areas of improvement to get to the next level.

Roberts is Oklahoma’s 16th commitment for the 2022 recruiting cycle and the second defensive lineman of the class. According to 247Sports Composite, Cedric Roberts is the No. 97 overall DL, and the No. 94 player from the state of Texas. However, as this 2021-22 football season commences, I do expect other teams to be hot on his trail. The Sooners are going to need big guys with high motors consistently shooting gaps with heads full of steam very soon, and I do think they get much of that in Roberts.