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Bobby Petrino Says "We Feel Like We're Going To Play" Oklahoma

Missouri State head coach indicates that the game will likely take place on either Sept. 5 or Sept. 12

Count Missouri State head coach Bobby Petrino among those who believe that the Bears' visit to Norman isn't dead in the water.

Earlier this morning, Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard indicated that Big 12 play would begin on Sept. 26, which cast immediate doubt on the plausibility of Oklahoma's tilt with Missouri State. The Bears are scheduled to host Montana on Sept. 12, and the Sooners would like to keep a maximum of two weeks between their nonconference game and the start of Big 12 play.

However, Petrino told media Thursday afternoon that he's confident his team will play Oklahoma one way or another.

Petrino, 59, is entering his first season at Missouri State after a year out of the coaching ranks. He hasn't roamed the sidelines since he was fired as Louisville's head coach in November 2018. And he's got work to do in Springfield, as the Bears are coming off a 1-11 campaign and lose several key contributors from last year's team.

Last month, Oklahoma and Missouri State announced that their game, originally scheduled for Sept. 5, had been moved to Aug. 29. However, the Big 12's coming scheduling adjustments soon rendered an August opener impractical. Missouri State still has Sept. 5 listed as an open date on its schedule, but Oklahoma would likely only play the Bears on that day as a last resort.

The contract between the schools calls for OU to pay Missouri State $600,000 for the game at Owen Field.

The Big 12 has not yet officially announced when conference play will begin.

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