NORMAN — Oklahoma Sooners athletic director Joe Castiglione is reaching out to fans, emphasizing that the team’s recent successes rely heavily on their “unwavering support.” In a recent email, Castiglione elaborated on OU’s revenue-sharing plan, reinforcing a commitment to ensuring that student-athletes receive fair compensation. He announced that the university is prepared to allocate the maximum permissible revenue, totaling approximately $20.5 million annually, to support its athletes.
“I call on you, our Sooner family, to help us rise to the challenge,” Castiglione stated.
One significant point from his message was the acknowledgment of the substantial new expense. Castiglione noted, “The reality of a new $20.5 million expense that will increase annually requires us to make thoughtful decisions around how we drive new revenue while considering changes to our current investments.” He emphasized that, much like their peers across the nation, OU is exploring various strategies. These include reallocating existing funds for revenue sharing and reassessing future ticket pricing and premium offerings across all sports.
Highlighting the financial landscape, it’s important to note that OU surpassed $200 million in revenue for the first time during the 2024 fiscal year, as detailed in the annual financial report submitted to the NCAA.
Castiglione’s communication comes amid heightened scrutiny online regarding the performance of the football and men’s basketball programs during their freshman year in the SEC. The football team has ended two of the last three seasons with a 6-7 record, while hopes for the men’s basketball squad to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020-21 faced a setback following a recent game against LSU. The Sooners found themselves faltering in the closing seconds of that match, being outscored 8-0 against a team that had been struggling in SEC play.
Reflecting the sentiment in the community, ESPN’s Dari Nowkah voiced his concerns post-game, noting, “These guys are walking into an arena that’s half-full, that is dead. It looks dead on television, I don’t believe it’s overly alive in person. You look around this league at basketball arenas, at baseball stadiums, they’re full. There’s a level of passion there. We are not seeing it.”
In his letter, Castiglione addressed the landscape of college athletics, saying, “Each day there are headlines on the change and disruption seen throughout college athletics. At Oklahoma, when we read those headlines, we see opportunity and possibility.” He highlighted that with revenue sharing set to commence, now is a critical time for the program to stay competitive.
He reaffirmed the commitment to excellence in support of all 21 sports programs, outlining key strategic areas of focus. This includes increased access to scholarships, enabling many student-athletes to gain greater financial stability through revenue sharing, which will, in turn, help attract top talent to the university.
Castiglione also pointed to the importance of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities going forward. He stated, “There will still be ample opportunities for fans and businesses to directly support our student-athletes,” anticipating changes in NIL parameters coming on July 1. This outside financial support, he believes, could give OU a valuable recruiting advantage.
To leverage these opportunities, Castiglione invited the Sooner community to contribute to the Inspiring Champions Fund, which supports the holistic development of student-athletes and helps facilitate revenue sharing. He encouraged fans to subscribe to 1Oklahoma for exclusive insights and consider teaming up with student-athletes through Sooner Sports Properties to promote their businesses.
In keeping with OU’s long-standing tradition of excellence, Castiglione emphasized the importance of community involvement and support in navigating this new era of college athletics. “As we remain steadfast in our pursuit of this goal, we are certain that its success is only made possible with your unwavering support,” he concluded.
Boomer!
