All Sooners

OU Softball: Oklahoma Celebrates National Title, Complete With Goats, at Love's Field

The Sooners capped off their fourth straight national title with a celebration with thousands of OU fans at Love's Field on Saturday.

Ryan Chapman

OU coach Patty Gasso speaks during a celebration of Oklahoma Sooners fourth consecutive softball national championship at Love's Field in Norman, Okla., Saturday, June 8, 2024.
OU coach Patty Gasso speaks during a celebration of Oklahoma Sooners fourth consecutive softball national championship at Love's Field in Norman, Okla., Saturday, June 8, 2024. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

NORMAN — Thousands of fans gathered at Love’s Field one lat time to cheer Oklahoma on Saturday. 

No game was played, those concluded on Thursday, but it was party time to celebrate the Sooners fourth-straight national title. 

University president Joe Harroz, athletic director Joe Castiglione, Norman mayor Larry Heikkila and coach Patty Gasso all addressed the fans, as the team soaked in admiration from the fans. 

“These guys have taught me a lot about coaching and the word unapologetic,” Gasso said of her team. “… They play hard. They care about the University of Oklahoma. They care about this program. They care about the past. But they really showed me that they care about each other.” 

“It was storybook. It was poetic,” senior captain Kinzie Hansen said. 

Castiglione, who announced that a statue was on the way for Gasso at last year’s celebration, had one surprise up his sleeve. 

He brought out goats for OU’s senior class, celebrating the greatest group to take the field. 

The players weren’t the only ones thanked, either. 

Castiglione, Gasso and the players showed their appreciation from the fans who supported the team all season long. 

“You all set a standard for fans,” Castiglione said.There’s no other fanbase quite like you for softball anywhere in this country. Thank you all.”

“Thank you for filling this stadium,” Gasso said. “Thank you for believing in this team. Thank you for showing up and paying probably pretty big dollars at the Hall of Fame Stadium to watch this team win another national championship. 

“And thank you for changing this sport.”

Tiare Jennings, Hansen and Karlie Keeney will all return next year as graduate assistants for the Sooners, but Jennings had one last message to her team before the celebration wrapped up. 

“Thank you Sooner Nation for the best four years of my life,” She said. “… This team, what a ride it’s been. You guys are crazy. … The championships are really nice but the relationships mean even more and I love you guys from the bottom of my heart.”

Published
Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

Home/Softball