Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss was supposed to kick off Saturday afternoon in Norman. But after the Rebels ran into travel problems caused by Friday’s nationwide FAA ground stoppage, the Sooners will host them at noon Sunday, Nov. 15. Now, the university is offering its fans reasons to turn up at the expense of its finances.  

Oklahoma understands that asking people to abandon their original Sunday plans at short notice isn’t going to fill the stadium by itself. George Stoia III of SoonerScoop and On3 shared the university’s list of fan incentives on Saturday. The biggest attraction is happening at the concession stands. 

Several familiar game-day items will cost just $2, including hot dogs, popcorn, fountain drinks, and hot chocolate. Even 16-ounce domestic beers from brands such as Budweiser, Coors, Miller, Busch and Michelob Ultra are included.

There are other ways to save money, too. The Sooner Shop, located just west of Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, will hand out free hand warmers and ponchos while supplies last. Merchandise will be discounted by 20%, with selected items marked down by as much as 60%.

Students have another way in. Show an OU ID at Gate 7, collect a wristband and head inside. No ticket required. Season-ticket holders can pocket 50 extra Sooner Points for 2027 by showing up, transferring their seats or handing tickets back to the athletic department. 

There’s more. Oklahoma is throwing in free admission to future events, starting with the men’s basketball clash against Syracuse on Dec. 1. More dates are coming. The school is clearly trying to sweeten a Sunday nobody planned for.

AD Roger Denny hasn’t hidden his displeasure. In an exclusive interview with SoonerScoop on Saturday morning, he acknowledged that the university was feeling the same anger as its fans.

“Every bit of the anger and frustration that you’re feeling, we’re feeling,” he said. “And the only thing we can ask is bring all of that anger and all of that frustration to the Palace at noon tomorrow, and direct it to the field.”

His comments followed a difficult decision from the SEC, which announced the schedule change early Saturday. According to the conference, Ole Miss couldn’t leave Oxford on Friday night because of the FAA ground stoppage. 

“After the stoppage was lifted, a late-night departure could not be accommodated by the charter company with which Ole Miss was contracted, and the team’s departure has been delayed until Saturday afternoon,” the SEC statement read. 

The SEC moved the game to 1 p.m. ET Sunday, which is noon in Oklahoma. Television arrangements were still being determined when the announcement was made. Denny also revealed that the school had been warned about the consequences of refusing to play. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told the school it would forfeit the game if it declined to accept the Sunday schedule. That left the Sooners with little room to fight the decision.

In a separate statement, Denny said the outcome was unfair to Oklahoma’s players, university and supporters. 

“Put simply, this decision isn’t fair to our athletes, our institution or to Sooner Nation,” he wrote. “But we’ve been given no other choice. We are obligated to play the game when directed, but we remain steadfast in our belief that the wrong outcome was reached this evening.”

The schedule change has left Oklahoma with a question of how many fans will actually show up. Plenty had already booked flights and hotels for Saturday. Some of that money is gone, and Sunday doesn’t work for everyone. Between NFL games, work, and family plans, a noon kickoff is a tough sell.