How Full SEC Share Will Benefit Other Oklahoma Athletics Programs

NORMAN — The effect of Oklahoma receiving a full share of SEC revenue distribution in this fiscal year might be most felt by the programs that don’t generate the bulk of revenue.

Last year when the Sooners’ athletic department received just $12.5 million from the SEC — an expectedly low number as Oklahoma decided to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC a year early — programs like football certainly have to do without.

But other programs farther down the food chain were affected more.

That was clear in the financial report OU filed with the NCAA in January.

While operating expenses for football rose more than $3 million in the 2025 fiscal year compared to 2024, operating revenues for soccer, tennis, track and wrestling all declined. The gymnastics programs each had minutely raised operating expenses.

In the last of our series on how OU’s programs might be affected by the move to receiving a full SEC share, here’s a look at some of the programs not covered elsewhere in the series:

Golf

It didn’t take long after Ryan Hybl left to go to Georgia Tech for Oklahoma to promote assistant Jonathan Moore into the role.

The Sooners tried to retain Hybl, but the longtime OU coach ultimately decided to return to his home state of Georgia.

Just the fact OU made a run at keeping Hybl was a positive sign.

Hybl made the Sooners regulars in the NCAA field, including a national championship in 2017 and 15 consecutive NCAA Finals berths.

There were also plenty of improvements to the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club and the addition of the golf training complex during Hybl’s tenure.

While roster retention and acquisition will be the primary focuses for Moore off the bat, there could be some upgrades to the facility as well.

Gymnastics

K.J. Kindler’s women’s team gave Roger Denny his first national championship as the Sooners athletic director in the spring.

The gymnastics teams recently completed a major renovation in their practice facility, which has been expanded greatly and updated, and the women will benefit from the groundbreaking for the new arena in the Rock Creek Entertainment District. The facility will be the program’s new home for meets, likely beginning in the 2029 season.

The Sooners were quiet in the transfer portal, but Kindler has rarely relied on transfers.

Kindler’s program is also the only one on this list which was included in the revenue sharing in the wake of the House vs. NCAA settlement.

The Sooners have already signed the No. 1 class in the 2027 class.

While Mark Williams' men’s team is expected to remain at McCasland Field House after the new arena opens, the 2026 NCAA runners-up benefited from the new facility.

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Tennis

The Headington Family Tennis Center continues to undergo improvements, both to make the facility more fan-friendly and benefit the athletes.

The addition of more money into the program from the SEC move figures to help keep those moving forward and to help the Sooners retain and add to their rosters.

Wrestling

Wrestling technically remains part of the Big 12, but with the department being lifted by the infusion of money from its new conference, the Sooners’ wrestlers figure to benefit.

It remains to be seen how much work Roger Denny will want to put into McCasland Field House but it figures some improvements will be made in coming years as wrestling, men’s gymnastics and volleyball will continue to call the arena home even after the basketball and women’s gymnastics programs move from Lloyd Noble Center to a new arena in 2029.

Roger Kish has signed back-to-back top-20 classes, though NIL money is scarce.

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