Details Revealed for 2025-26 Bedlam Basketball Matchup

The Cowboys and Sooners will meet again in 2025-26.

Oklahoma Sooners forward Sam Godwin (10) and Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Robert Jennings II (25) jump for the ball during the opening tip during a men's college Bedlam basketball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. Oklahoma won 80-65. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bedlam will be back on the hardwood again next season.

As the Cowboys and Sooners enter their second season in different conferences, they will again meet on a neutral court in their lone matchup of the 2025-26 campaign. On Thursday, college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported that next season’s Bedlam matchup will be on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

This will mark the second straight season the teams meet in Oklahoma City in mid-December to keep the rivalry alive. Last season’s matchup was a dominant showing for a then-undefeated Sooners team, beating the Cowboys 80-65.

While it is great to see the rivalry renewed again next season, the atmosphere in Oklahoma City didn’t capture the chaos of a Bedlam played in Stillwater or Norman. Perhaps with two potential tournament teams playing next season, that will improve, but there will still be a missing element of Bedlam.

As it was last season, Bedlam could be a great early test for the Cowboys to see where they stand in comparison to the rest of the country. While the Sooners were among the hottest teams in the country coming into last season’s matchup, they were unable to maintain their top 25 status and eventually dropped off when SEC play began.

Still, the blowout win for the Sooners showed that the Cowboys still had plenty of ground to make up before they could compete for an NCAA Tournament bid. Of course, the Sooners eventually secured their spot in the big dance, which was enough for them to bring coach Porter Moser back for next season.

While Mike Boynton struggled in Stillwater overall, he had a knack for getting wins against Oklahoma. Lutz couldn’t best Moser in his first try, but he will have an improved roster and higher expectations coming into his second try.

OSU will have internal expectations to make the NCAA Tournament, while the Sooners will also be expected to be a tournament team again. If OSU could get a win against its in-state rival in a premier nonconference matchup, it could be a great sign for how the rest of the season will play out.

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