The #Sooners are entering the season ranked at No. 2, watch our best clips from today's practice for the 2021 season:
Filmed by Collin McDaniel and Justin Jayne
Edited by Collin McDaniel
Big 12 teams that cannot play conference games due to in-house COVID-19 outbreaks will not be allowed to reschedule and will be issued a loss, the Big 12 announced Tuesday. The team's opponent will be credited with a win.
🚨 Game Threshold Policy Announcement 🚨"In the event a Conference game is canceled due to a team not having enough student-athletes to compete (for any reason) that team will forfeit and will be credited with a loss in the Conference standings."➡️ https://t.co/65p3Vcwjb9 pic.twitter.com/5u7504Girt
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 17, 2021
The Big 12's ruling comes after the Pac-12 implemented the same forfeit policy for the 2021 season on Aug. 12. Both policies state a forfeit can be issued for any reason pertaining to why a team cannot play a game in addition to those canceled due to COVID-19.
"A forfeit can be declared at any point before a completed contest, and when possible would occur prior to the visiting team commencing travel," the Big 12's announcement read. "Additionally, if both teams are unable to compete, a No Contest would be declared and, if needed, an unbalanced tiebreaker would be utilized to determine Conference championship participants in football or championship seeding in other sports.
"The Commissioner retains discretion to declare a No Contest if extraordinary circumstances warrant."
OU, which finished last season as Big 12 champions with a 6-2 conference record, had its Dec. 12 matchup against West Virginia canceled last year due to COVID-19 issues within the Mountaineers' program. The game was originally scheduled for Nov. 28 but was postponed after the Sooners paused team activities due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests within the team.
OU has required media members, regardless of their vaccination status, to wear masks during its fall availability sessions. At such availabilities, the Sooners' coaches have appeared in person while player interviews are conducted over Zoom.
At Oklahoma's local media day on Aug. 5, head coach Lincoln Riley said those precautionary measures are in place as guard against the COVID-19 delta variant.
“We all, I think, felt like this was over, getting close to being over and it’s not over and so we are still taking a lot of precautions,” Riley said. “They’re different with our vaccinated versus our unvaccinated players. I commend our team, I think we’ve done a great job up to this point of getting a high, high percentage of our building vaccinated, and so we’re in a really good place there.
“But at the same time, it’s gonna be a factor this season. Just like last year it’s gonna be something we’re gonna have to overcome, use to our advantage. We’re gonna have to be aware of, try to be in front of and so we’re certainly not taking it for granted or taking it lightly right now.”
The Sooners begin their 2021 season against Tulane at 11 a.m. CT on Sept. 4 in New Orleans.
