Army fans who aren’t in the stands for the Nov. 22 game at Oklahoma might have to shell out some cash to watch it from their couch. (Jim Dresbach/Army)
Oklahoma and Army West Point will battle on the gridiron for the first time since 1961 later this year, but fans who want to witness history on their televisions might need to find their wallets first.
NewsOK.com reported Monday that despite the history brought to bear by both football programs into the Nov. 22 contest, the Sooners and Black Knights likely will end up as a pay-per-view game. It’s a rarity for most of college football, but OU has played on PPV once annually for the past few years; last year’s game against Tulane reportedly cost $55 to order.
Oklahoman columnist Berry Tramel breaks down the TV-rights puzzle that could land the late-season showdown on pay-per-view, though no final decision has been announced. OU officials reportedly aren’t pleased with the decision, with Sooners athletic director Joe Castiglione telling Tramel he believes the concept of college football on PPV has “gone the way of the leather helmet.”
(Speaking of throwbacks: Pay-per-view wasn’t an option in 1961, but if you’ve got any audio or video of the ABC network feed from that Army-Oklahoma showdown, OU would love to hear from you.)
Army’s home football slate is a bit easier to find from your couch: All six games will kick off at noon Eastern and will air on CBS Sports Network. The Dec. 3 showdown against Army airs at 3 p.m. Eastern on CBS, while the Black Knights’ season-opening game at Duke will air on ESPNU at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31.
