Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium will celebrate its centennial in 2024

NORMAN — The University of Oklahoma athletics department announced Tuesday it will celebrate the 100th season of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium leading up to and during the 2024 football campaign, with planned events and recognitions that will honor OU’s storied gridiron history and highlight the iconic venue’s greatest games, moments, players and coaches.

The celebration kicked off Wednesday with a 100day “Stadium Scrapbook” countdown to the Sooners’ season opener against Temple the night of Aug. 30 in Norman. Each day leading up to that contest, OU’s football social media accounts will spotlight an interesting fact or a significant moment, performance or record that helped shape the history of one the country’s most recognized collegiate stadiums.

“Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is one of college football’s greatest cathedrals,” OU Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione said. “It’s home to countless historic moments made possible by some of the game’s most talented and dedicated coaches and players, and by the most ardent of fans. We’re truly excited to honor our iconic stadium by taking a walk down memory lane and reliving its history this summer and fall. It’s impossible to celebrate all of the individuals and performances that have helped make the ‘Palace’ the treasure it is, but we’re sure going to feature a lot of them.”

Each of OU’s seven 2024 home games will feature a different theme, four of them spotlighting the eras of Sooner coaching greats and the others centered on the program’s myriad magical stadium moments and memories:

Temple: Barry Switzer era.

Houston: Bud Wilkinson era.

Tulane: Bennie Owen era.

Tennessee: Record performances.

South Carolina: Sooner magic moments.

Maine: Fan-favorite moments.

Alabama: Bob Stoops era.

As part of the celebration, OU athletics will unveil a 100th-year microsite on www. SoonerSports.com this summer that will feature the stadium’s first 99 years and will include fascinating historical photo and video content, as well as compelling written feature stories.

Fans are encouraged to submit their favorite moments in Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium history by e-mailing to gfoms100@ou.edu.

Select submissions will be highlighted in-stadium during the Nov. 2 Maine contest and/or on www.SoonerSports.com. OU faithful should feel welcome to include game photos or video from their stadium seat, or shots of vintage tickets, game programs or other prized memorabilia.