Oklahoma History

Oklahoma is one of the all-time great programs in college football history. The Sooners claim 7 national championships in their storied history, which dates back to their first season in 1895.

Those titles came in 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985 and 2000. So far, the 2000s have been a bit down for Oklahoma, but the Sooners continue to churn out Heisman Trophy winners. The Sooners have produced 7 Heisman winners over the years, tied with USC, Notre Dame and Ohio State for the most ever.

Those Heisman winners were Billy Vessels (1952), Steve Owens (1969), Billy Sims (1978), Jason White (2003), Sam Bradford (2008), Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018). Interestingly, the Sooners have never had a Heisman winner in the same year they claimed a national championship.

Oklahoma made the move from the Big 12 to the SEC ahead of the 2024 season, leaving the Big 12 after winning a whopping 47 league titles dating back to the Big 6 days. The Sooners also have 1 title from the MVIAA and 2 from the Southwest Conference prior to joining the Big 6.

Check out the links below for a detailed look at the history of the Sooners’ program:

• Top 25 Players in Oklahoma Football History
• Oklahoma All-Time First-Round NFL Draft Picks
• Oklahoma Coaching History
• Brent Venables Coach Bio

Oklahoma is also involved in some big-time rivalries, including the battle with Texas, which has usually been for Big 12 supremacy over the years. Click the links below to learn more about the Sooners’ biggest rivalries:

• Oklahoma vs. Texas