OU Softball: Softball in the Cotton Bowl? Patty Gasso is Ready to Take Oklahoma Anywhere

NORMAN — Softball and Fletcher’s Corny Dogs?

You have Patty Gasso’s attention.

Stanford and California broke college softball’s single-game attendance record last week by packing 13,207 fans into Stanford Stadium on April 19.

Bedlam softball attracted 9,259 fans the prior week at Devon Park in Oklahoma City before Stanford’s “Big Swing” turned out to be a home run.

Gasso has entertained the idea of playing softball in a football stadium before after Nebraska’s volleyball team sold out Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

But Texas coach Mike White had a different idea when The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto tossed the idea of softball in a football stadium his way — why not the Cotton Bowl?

“I love it,” Gasso immediately said, as the gears started immediately turning for OU’s legendary head coach.

“I got a text from the head coach at Ohio State that said we want to create an atmosphere and want you to come play us at Ohio State,” Gasso said.

It’s unclear if a Sooner, perhaps captain Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, would need to re-create Baker Mayfield’s flag plant in The Horseshoe, but Gasso said her program is open to all offers.

“I don’t know the dimensions or anything but we would do it in a heartbeat,” Gasso said. “We would love to do it here but I know that it does take some work to make that happen, just doesn’t fit right. But if we could do the Cotton Bowl, we could go to Ohio State, we could do wherever if it is going to help this sport grow, which it will, that would be … I’ve had some amazing moments. Like Love’s (Field), where we’re sitting right now, is surreal still, but I don’t wanna stop. They don’t wanna stop.

“That’s our job, is to help push this sport. And pro is moving now. The AUSL, the golden ticket, MLB has supported that now. There’s money coming to players, more money, it’s really an exciting time for our sport. … The Cotton Bowl.”

With the idea of Gasso and White leading their teams down the ramp in Dallas between the infamous black curtains still fresh, Gasso quickly tried to work out the logistics if such a showcase would be a one-off or need to be an entire series.

“I don’t know,” she said. “You’d probably want to play at least maybe a doubleheader? I don’t know, I don’t know. But I wanna do it.”

Oklahoma and Texas have played the most iconic college football game in the country inside the Cotton Bowl every year since 1937.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both graced the pitch in soccer games staged on Fair Park.

Bringing Red River softball to the Cotton Bowl would be an unbelievable setting for the booming sport, and one befitting of the programs who have played for two of the last three national titles in Oklahoma City.

Just don’t ask Gasso to throw down a victory corn dog if it happens.

“Are they gonna have the whole circus in town? I would doubt (it),” Gasso said. “I like their tacos down there.”