Why Oklahoma's Stadium Renovations Show 'Commitment' to Joe Castiglione’s Successor

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Board of Regents for the University of Oklahoma approved renovations for Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Tuesday. This will set in motion plans — renderings to come "soon" — to upgrade the west side of the stadium.

The vision for west side renovations were initially released in 2014. Since then, renovations to the south end zone and the Barry Switzer took place. Due to economic fluctuation, plans for the west side were put on hold.

Now that the plans can move forward, Oklahoma leadership believes this is another key step in showing the university's commitment to excellence — not just to the SEC, but for athletic director Joe Castiglione's eventual replacement.

"It shows commitment," University of Oklahoma president Joseph Harroz Jr. said. "It shows investment. I think to the kind of individuals that are worthy of this man’s legacy and the legacy of our institution, they can see."

Joe Harroz, Oklahoma Sooner — University President Joseph Harroz, Jr. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That commitment can be an attractive asset for Castiglione's prospective successor.

Thus far, the university has only announced that they've chosen a selection committee — including names like Chair of Football Randall Stephenson, Bob Stoops and Sam Bradford — to interview and find the next athletic director. No timetable has been publicly stated.

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Along with renovations and upgrades announced for L. Dale Mitchell Ballpark — soon to be renamed Kimrey Family Stadium — Memorial Stadium's west side facelift furthers Oklahoma into the 21st century, aligns them more with recently upgraded stadiums in the SEC and serves as a beacon to attract a future leader to follow Castiglione.

"I think what great candidates look for is not just a storied program, but being in a position to win during this time of turbulence and being able to be structured to be competitive for the future," Harroz said. "Hopefully what they see is an enterprise that isn’t sitting still, that is disciplined, that is thoughtful about what today and tomorrow will likely look like and to be best positioned to adapt to that."

These improvments are coinciding with the ever-changing landscape of college football. OU's program has moved towards modleing itself after something more akin to a professional football franchise complete with a front office and scouting department. They've invested in NIL to great success.

Oklahoma Sooners Joe Castiglione — Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione | Sooners On SI

Now these renovations can symbolically show the program's investment for the next 100 years of Memorial Stadium and the program at large.

"To me, it reflects where we’re going," Harroz said. "What the impact is in terms of gaining a homefield advantage and what the financial impact is so that you can be in the era of paying student-athletes as something that didn’t exist before. I think it’s a huge asset to bring forward."