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ALERT

Weather Alert

...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 10 PM CDT FRIDAY...

The following statement was issued by the Oklahoma Department of
Environmental Quality from 10 AM to 10 PM CDT Friday.

An Air Quality Alert for Ozone has been issued for Friday, August 21
for the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area due to expected high
concentrations of ozone.

Public Health Recommendations: Persons with existing heart or
respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor
activity.

The general public is encouraged to help alleviate the problem by
reducing vehicle miles traveled by riding the bus, carpooling, or
avoiding unnecessary trips. The public is also asked to avoid
refueling during the morning and early afternoon hours, and to avoid
the use of two cycle engines such as lawn mowers, motorcycles, weed
trimmers, and outboard engines. It is also advised to limit outdoor
burning.

To view the latest air quality map, visit airnow.gov or the AirNow
app.

For hourly updates on concentrations and possible health warnings,
telephone the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality at
405-702-4100. For more information on health effects, call the
American Lung Association of Oklahoma at 405-748-4674

Weather Alert

...EXTREME HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 110
expected.

* WHERE...Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, McClain, Oklahoma,
Pottawatomie, Seminole, Hughes, Jefferson, and Stephens Counties.

* WHEN...Until 9 PM CDT Friday.

* IMPACTS...Heat related illnesses increase significantly during
extreme heat and high humidity events.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of
the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

&&

Venables becomes 10th highest paid college football coach

Brent Venables

Head coach Brent Venables during the Walk of Champions on Dec. 19, 2025.

 Annie Davenport/OU Daily

OU and head football coach Brent Venables have agreed to a new six-year contract, as first reported by ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The deal averages $10.5 million per year and adds two years to the current contract and goes through 2031.

Venables is now a top 10 highest paid coach in college football, according to On3. His previous contract ranked 18th in the country in On3's database.

Here is the full list of the top-10 paid coaches in On3's database:

1. Kirby Smart – Georgia – $13.3M

2. Curt Cignetti – Indiana – $13.2M

3. Lane Kiffin – LSU – $13M

4. Ryan Day – Ohio State – $12.6M

5. Kalen DeBoer – Alabama – $12.5M

6. Lincoln Riley – USC – $11.5M

7. Dabo Swinney – Clemson – $11.4M

8. Steve Sarkisian – Texas – $11.1M

9. Mike Elko – Texas A&M – $10.8M

10. Brent Venables – OU – $10.5M

This comes after Venables led OU to a 10-2 regular season record and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2025.

Athletic director Roger Denny praised Venables' leadership in a statement.

“It didn't take long to see how well suited he is to lead Oklahoma Football," Denny wrote. "Coach Venables is elite at building culture — not just in the locker room, but throughout the entire program. Our players are drawn to him. They trust him, they believe in him and he has a unique ability to connect with young men and bring out the best in them. What I hope this extension says to our players is that in an environment that changes every day, we're investing in stability for our program. Amidst the disruption of college sports, Oklahoma will be a place where student-athletes will find consistency."

Denny added that the CFP appearance in 2025 was a huge factor in working on the extension.

“The work on his extension began shortly after our team's run to the College Football Playoff, and one of my top priorities in my first several months as athletics director was to make sure we saw that process through," Denny wrote. "I believe strongly in Coach Venables, in the culture he has built and in the structure we have in place around our football program. There simply isn't a better ambassador for Oklahoma Football than Brent Venables."

Veanbles expressed his gratitude in a statement.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the trust, belief and support of President Joe Harroz, Athletics Director Roger Denny, Chair and Special Advisor for OU Athletics Randall Stephenson and our Board of Regents,” Venables wrote. “It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve as the head coach at the University of Oklahoma and to represent a place with such a proud tradition, an incredibly passionate and loyal fan base and expectations that match our own.

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