Why Oklahoma State Needs Football Success to Spotlight Its Other Sports

The Oklahoma State Cowboys have a great overall athletic program but their lack of recent success in football is overshadowing that.

OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg presents a jersey to Eric Morris. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It's football season, so all the talk is surrounding new head coach Eric Morris and how Cowboys fans hope that he's able to turn Oklahoma State’s football program around.

But the team’s shocking decline the past two seasons under Mike Gundy cast a shadow that was hard for the other athletic programs at Oklahoma State to outrun.

For those that weren't playing close attention, the Cowboys have a well-rounded, successful athletic department that won national championships in three different sports last year.

Athletic director Chad Weiberg knows it, as he told Big 12 Today last week.

Chad Weiberg on Need for Football Success

Preston Stout. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For any school that sponsors football, that sport is the most important thing in the athletic department. When it's successful, it casts a spotlight on every other sport. When it's unsuccessful well, it can overshadow even national championships.

“Obviously football casts a big shadow, right?” he said. “I mean it really sets the tone for so much.”

While Oklahoma State football struggled to a 1-11 record and Weiberg had to make a coaching change, the fall began with the men's cross-country team winning a national championship. The Cowboys return most of the runners from last year's champions and are hoping to make another run at the NCAA Championships later this year.

In the winter, the wrestling team finished in second place at nationals but that wasn't the headline. The Cowboys had three freshmen who won national championships in their weight class, which was the first time that it ever happened in NCAA history. All three are back to defend their crowns and the Cowboys are one of the favorites to win the national championship as a team.

In the spring, Preston Stout won his third straight Big 12 individual men's golf championship and then claimed the individual medalist honors at the NCAA Championships. He returns to defend both titles and the entire Cowboys golf team that reached nationals and made it to the semifinals of the national tournament are back as well.

Weiberg knows the locals are paying attention as those sports are well-supported. He expects big things from men’s and women’s basketball this year, and the baseball and softball teams are poised for big years, too. But he knows a successful football program removes that shadow from his other sports. He needs success on the gridiron.

“There’s so many reasons to be good in football,” Weiberg said. “So we look forward tro getting back to winning there so it can help highlight all the other great things that are going in the athletic department.”