Oklahoma State–Tulsa football rivalry

Oklahoma State–Tulsa football rivalry
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Other namesBank of Oklahoma Turnpike Classic[1]
SportAmerican college football
First meetingOctober 16, 1914
Oklahoma A&M 13, Kendall 6[2]
Latest meetingSeptember 19, 2025
Tulsa 19, Oklahoma State 12
Next meetingSeptember 5, 2026
StadiumsBoone Pickens Stadium (Oklahoma State)
Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium (Tulsa)
Statistics
Meetings total77
All-time seriesOklahoma State leads, 44–28–5[3]
Largest victoryTulsa, 55–6 (1943)
Longest win streakOklahoma State, 10 (1999–2024)
Current win streakTulsa, 1 (2025–present)
120km
75miles
Tulsa
Oklahoma State
Locations of Oklahoma State and Tulsa

The Oklahoma State–Tulsa football rivalry (also known as the Turnpike Classic) is a college football rivalry game between Oklahoma State and Tulsa. The two teams first played each other in 1914, and the rivalry has been played on and off for a total of 77 games as of 2025.[4][5]

Series history

From 1935 to 1956, the two teams both competed in the Missouri Valley Conference. In those 22 seasons, the conference champion would be won by either Oklahoma State or Tulsa 16 times.[6] They played each other annually from 1926 to 1965. Then played again regularly from 1981 to 2000.[7] The two universities are approximately 70 miles apart via the Cimarron Turnpike.[8]

In 1992, the Tulsa World reported that former Tulsa teammates Dave Rader and Denver Johnson were now coaching on opposite sides: Rader as Tulsa head coach and Johnson as Oklahoma State offensive line coach.[9]

The Bank of Oklahoma began a sponsorship deal in 2017 with Oklahoma State and Tulsa to name the series the Bank of Oklahoma Turnpike Classic.[10]

The next scheduled game between Oklahoma State and Tulsa is scheduled for September 19, 2029, in Stillwater, as part of annual home-and-home series that extends through 2031 with a hiatus in 2022 and 2023.[11]

Quotes on the series

"The University of Tulsa and Oklahoma State have a colorful history of compelling football games," wrote Bill Haisten for the Tulsa World in 2010.[12] Bill Connors wrote 16 years earlier for the Tulsa World: "Tulsa and Oklahoma State never played each other in football when the game seemed insignificant to the participants."[13]

Oklahoma State head coach Jimmy Johnson said in 1982: "OU and OSU, that's a rivalry, but not OSU and Tulsa."[14] In contrast, Tulsa head coach John Cooper said about the Oklahoma State–Tulsa series: "It's a natural rivalry, and I don't think you can underestimate the importance of that."[14]

In 2008, The Oklahoman sportswriter Berry Tramel wrote that this series "should be played regularly" because Tulsa had improved over the decade.[15] However, Tramel changed his opinion in 2017: "OSU-Tulsa has faded away. . . . Conference realignment and economic realities have made it more difficult for age-old rivals to schedule, especially when they end up on different competitive planes."[16]

Notable games

1945

Oklahoma A&M 12 – Tulsa 6

Oklahoma A&M entered week 6 undefeated (5–0) ranked No. 11 and hosted a Tulsa team who had dropped to No. 19 after their first loss to Indiana the previous week. This is the only contest between the two schools with both teams ranked in the AP Poll.[17] The Cowboys defeated the Golden Hurricane en route to an undefeated (9–0) national championship season.

1995

Tulsa 24 – Oklahoma State 23

Tulsa was trailing by 20 points in the fourth quarter, then scored three touchdowns in the final 5:41 to win 24–23 in what was then still called Skelly Stadium.[18]

2011

Oklahoma State 59 – Tulsa 33

In week 3, Tulsa took on Oklahoma State in a home game that memorably lasted until 3:35 AM after inclement weather delayed the kickoff past midnight. The Golden Hurricane scored a field goal on their first drive to take an early lead but were unable to contain the Cowboys' potent offense and quickly fell behind for good. The team was further hindered by the loss of quarterback G.J. Kinne near the end of the first quarter, forcing them to rely heavily on the run for the remainder of the game.[19][20][21]

2025

Tulsa 19 – Oklahoma State 12

With Tulsa at 1-2 and Oklahoma State at 1-1, the two teams met in Stillwater that saw Tulsa take an early lead and lead 16–3 at halftime. However, Oklahoma State narrowed it to 19–12 late in the fourth quarter. With two minutes remaining, the Cowboys failed to convert a fourth down at their own 39-yard line.[22] Tulsa ran the clock down to under a minute before attempting a field goal from 50 yards out to try extending the lead to two possessions. However, the field goal missed, giving Oklahoma State one last possession with 26 seconds left.[23] Through a series of passes, the Cowboys got the ball to Tulsa's 42-yard line with less than 15 seconds remaining but could not reach the end zone as Tulsa won the rivalry game for the first time since 1998 along with having their first victory in Stillwater since 1951.[22][24]

The 2025 game was shown live on ESPN. Nielsen Media Research estimated the game had 1.38 million viewers.[25]

Following the game, local media speculated that this outcome could cost Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy his job.[26] During the game, Oklahoma State fans booed and chanted for Gundy to be fired.[27] Oklahoma State eventually fired Gundy on September 23.[27]

Game results

Oklahoma State victoriesTulsa victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 October 16, 1914 Stillwater Oklahoma A&M 13–6
2 October 15, 1915 Stillwater Tie0–0
3 November 4, 1916 Tulsa Kendall 17–13
4 November 17, 1917 Stillwater Oklahoma A&M 41–2
5 November 23, 1918 Tulsa Oklahoma A&M 33–0
6 November 21, 1919 Stillwater Tie7–7
7 October 9, 1920 Tulsa Tulsa 20–14
8 October 16, 1926 Tulsa Tulsa 28–0
9 October 26, 1927 Stillwater Tulsa 28–26
10 November 29, 1928 Tulsa Tulsa 31–0
11 November 2, 1929 Stillwater Oklahoma A&M 20–0
12 December 13, 1930 Tulsa Oklahoma A&M 13–7
13 November 14, 1931 Tulsa Oklahoma A&M 7–6
14 November 5, 1932 Tulsa Tie0–0
15 November 4, 1933 Tulsa Oklahoma A&M 7–0
16 November 17, 1934 Tulsa Tulsa 19–0
17 October 26, 1935 Tulsa Tulsa 12–0
18 October 24, 1936 Tulsa Tulsa 13–0
19 October 23, 1937 Tulsa Tulsa 27–0
20 October 22, 1938 Tulsa Tulsa 20–7
21 October 14, 1939 Tulsa Oklahoma A&M 9–7
22 November 23, 1940 Tulsa Tulsa 19–6
23 October 25, 1941 Stillwater Tulsa 16–0
24 November 7, 1942 Tulsa No. 12 Tulsa 34–6
25 November 6, 1943 Tulsa No. 19 Tulsa 55–6
26 October 28, 1944 Tulsa Oklahoma A&M 46–40
27 November 10, 1945 Stillwater No. 11 Oklahoma A&M 12–6
28 November 9, 1946 Tulsa Tulsa 20–18
29 November 8, 1947 Stillwater Tulsa 13–0
30 November 6, 1948 Tulsa Oklahoma A&M 19–0
31 November 5, 1949 Stillwater Tie13–13
32 November 4, 1950 Tulsa Tulsa 17–13
33 November 3, 1951 Stillwater Tulsa 35–7
34 November 1, 1952 Tulsa Tulsa 23–21
35 October 31, 1953 Stillwater Oklahoma A&M 28–14
36 October 30, 1954 Tulsa Oklahoma A&M 12–0
37 October 29, 1955 Stillwater Oklahoma A&M 14–0
38 October 13, 1956 Tulsa Tie14–14
39 October 12, 1957 Stillwater Oklahoma State 28–13
40 October 11, 1958 Tulsa Tulsa 24–16
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
41 October 10, 1959 Stillwater Oklahoma State 26–0
42 October 8, 1960 Tulsa Oklahoma State 28–7
43 October 7, 1961 Stillwater Oklahoma State 26–0
44 October 6, 1962 Tulsa Oklahoma State 17–7
45 November 9, 1963 Stillwater Oklahoma State 33–24
46 October 31, 1964 Tulsa Tulsa 61–14
47 October 2, 1965 Stillwater Oklahoma State 17–14
48 September 11, 1976 Stillwater Oklahoma State 33–21
49 September 10, 1977 Tulsa No. 20 Oklahoma State 34–17
50 September 19, 1981 Stillwater Oklahoma State 23–21
51 September 19, 1982 Tulsa Tulsa 25–15
52 October 1, 1983 Stillwater Oklahoma State 9–0
53 September 29, 1984 Tulsa No. 10 Oklahoma State 31–7
54 October 5, 1985 Stillwater No. 6 Oklahoma State 25–13
55 September 13, 1986 Tulsa Tulsa 27–23
56 September 5, 1987 Stillwater Oklahoma State 39–28
57 October 1, 1988 Stillwater No. 13 Oklahoma State 56–35
58 September 9, 1989 Tulsa Tulsa 20–10
59 September 1, 1990 Stillwater Oklahoma State 10–3
60 September 7, 1991 Tulsa Tulsa 13–7
61 September 26, 1992 Stillwater Oklahoma State 24–19
62 September 18, 1993 Tulsa Oklahoma State 16–10
63 September 24, 1994 Stillwater Oklahoma State 17–10
64 September 9, 1995 Tulsa Tulsa 24–23
65 September 14, 1996 Stillwater Oklahoma State 30–9
66 September 12, 1998 Tulsa Tulsa 35–20
67 September 11, 1999 Stillwater Oklahoma State 46–9
68 September 9, 2000 Tulsa Oklahoma State 36–26
69 September 11, 2004 Stillwater Oklahoma State 38–21
70 September 18, 2010 Stillwater Oklahoma State 65–28
71 September 18, 2011 Tulsa No. 7 Oklahoma State 59–33
72 August 31, 2017 Stillwater No. 10 Oklahoma State 59–24
73 September 14, 2019 Tulsa Oklahoma State 40–21
74 September 19, 2020 Stillwater No. 11 Oklahoma State 16–7
75 September 11, 2021 Stillwater Oklahoma State 28–23
76 September 14, 2024 Tulsa No. 13 Oklahoma State 45–10
77 September 19, 2025 Stillwater Tulsa 19–12
Series: Oklahoma State leads 44–28–5[3]
Note, the 1922 game was cancelled.[28][29]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Game Notes: Cowboys Set for 2019 Bank of Oklahoma Turnpike Classic". Oklahoma State University Athletics.
  2. ^ "Football History vs Tulsa". Oklahoma State University Athletics.
  3. ^ a b "mcubed.net : NCAA Football : Series Records : Oklahoma State vs. Tulsa". www.mcubed.net.
  4. ^ Rohde, John (September 23, 1994). "OSU-TU: A Look Back Rivalry Has Been Competitive". The Oklahoman. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  5. ^ "Throwback Tulsa: A look back at the OSU-Tulsa football series". Tulsa World. September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  6. ^ "Missouri Valley Conference Champions"
  7. ^ "Rivalry Between TU and OSU Grows Despite Possible End". KOTV. September 10, 2000. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  8. ^ "Football notes: Oklahoma State Game". University of Tulsa. September 9, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  9. ^ MacLeod, Ken (September 24, 1992). "TU-OSU family feud". Tulsa World. p. 1B. Retrieved November 18, 2020 – via Newsbank.
  10. ^ Tramel, Berry (August 1, 2017). "OSU-Tulsa series gets a name". The Oklahoman. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  11. ^ "Future Oklahoma State Football Schedules".
  12. ^ Haisten, Bill (September 18, 2010). "OSU, TU rekindle rivalry". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  13. ^ Connors, Bill (September 23, 1994). "Stakes Unusually High for TU, OSU". Tulsa World. p. S1. Retrieved November 18, 2020 – via Newsbank.
  14. ^ a b Kensler, Tom (September 19, 1982). "OSU, Tulsa Coaches Know Their Psychology". The Oklahoman. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  15. ^ Tramel, Berry (June 7, 2008). "Bully OU-Tulsa & OSU-Tulsa". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on June 14, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  16. ^ Tramel, Berry (August 29, 2017). "Oklahoma State-Tulsa football series has lost its buzz". The Oklahoman. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  17. ^ "Tulsa 1945 Schedule"
  18. ^ Writer, MIKE BROWN World Sports. "TU's 1995 comeback against OSU memorable". Tulsa World.
  19. ^ "Oklahoma State, Tulsa take part in midnight madness". Los Angeles Times. September 18, 2011.
  20. ^ "Oklahoma State vs. Tulsa - Game Recap - September 17, 2011 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019.
  21. ^ Floyd, Brian (September 18, 2011). "Oklahoma State Vs. Tulsa: Start Time Will Be After Midnight". SBNation.com.
  22. ^ a b Willert, Tim (September 19, 2025). "Haynes throws TD pass, Morgan kicks 4 FG, Tulsa gets rare win over Oklahoma State 19-12". Associated Press. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  23. ^ Bailey, Eric; Peters, Michael (September 20, 2025). "Stillwater surprise: Tulsa snaps 10-game losing streak to Oklahoma State". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on September 22, 2025. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  24. ^ Wright, Scott (September 20, 2025). "Oklahoma State football suffers first home loss vs Tulsa since 1951 - 5 takeaways". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on September 22, 2025. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  25. ^ Pucci, Douglas (September 22, 2025). "Friday Ratings: Fox Wins in Prime Time with Iowa-Rutgers College Football". Programming Insider. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  26. ^ Wright, Scott (September 20, 2025). "Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State football face more questions after embarrassing loss to Tulsa". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on September 22, 2025. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  27. ^ a b Brunt, Cliff (September 23, 2025). "Oklahoma State fires football coach Mike Gundy after 20-plus years". Associated Press. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  28. ^ "2020 Media Guide" (PDF). tulsahurricane.com. Tulsa Athletics. p. 166. Retrieved September 5, 2020. Mutually agreed not to play the game
  29. ^ "2020 Media Guide" (PDF). okstate.com. Oklahoma State Athletics. p. 211. Retrieved September 5, 2020. mutual forfeit
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