Why Bedlam Basketball Might Mean More for Cowgirls Than Cowboys

Oklahoma State is set for Bedlam next season, but it could mean much more for the Cowgirls.

Entering next season, the Cowboys and Cowgirls are set to take part in a Bedlam basketball doubleheader on Dec. 13 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. After the men’s teams had one game there last year, the women’s teams will be joining them for a full day of in-state rivalry action.

While the Cowgirls didn’t get a chance to play Bedlam last season, the rivalry should still have some juice, given how good both teams might be. OSU women’s basketball coach Jacie Hoyt also explained exactly why she’s excited about next season’s matchup against the Sooners.

"Bedlam games have been the most intense, fan-packed games that I've been a part of since I've been here. Those are the types of crowds and atmospheres that we all dream of playing in, so we're really excited to get back to that. OU has an incredible thing going; it's not just Bedlam, to get that caliber of teams matched up in the non-conference [schedule], it's going to be really neat for everyone in the state."

While the spectacle will certainly mark a big moment for the Cowboys next season as well, Steve Lutz’s team is still firmly in a rebuild. Although OSU has some internal hopes of making the NCAA Tournament, there’s a reason no one on the outside looking in is putting the Pokes in their brackets.

The Cowboys haven’t made the big dance since 2021, but the Cowgirls have made it twice in three tries under Hoyt. While Lutz and company could be in for a leap similar to what the women’s squad accomplished in 2025, there’s no doubt it will be an uphill battle.

With such a leap last season, Hoyt also expanded on how that means higher expectations for the program.

"When I first got here, I think we were coming off a nine-win season, and now here we are coming off a 25-win season with very high expectations,” Hoyt said. “But that has been the whole point, this is exactly where we want to be. If I'm being honest, I want to be in an even higher spot with higher expectations.”

Simply put, when the Bedlam doubleheader comes around in December, the Cowgirls will be the only OSU team with expectations of winning. While the Cowboys will look to put up their best fight, Gallagher-Iba’s floor seems poised to be dominated by the Cowgirls next season, and a couple of December matchups in Oklahoma City will show exactly why.