Oklahoma cancels media availability after stealth reporting by student newspaper
The Oklahoma football team on Wednesday unexpectedly canceled media access until after Saturday’s game against TCU, per multiple outlets.
While no reason for the change was given, it appears to be in response to reporting done by the student newspaper.
The OU Daily’s Mason Young and Austin Curtright reported freshman quarterback Caleb Williams was seen scrimmaging with the Sooners’ first-team offense while redshirt sophomore Spencer Rattler worked with the second team.
While Williams replaced Rattler and sparked the Sooners’ 55-48 comeback win over Texas, Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley hasn’t named a starter against TCU.
The OU Daily story said reporters “watched the offensive practice regimen from a public building near the OU football practice field, with no athletics employees discouraging observation. The Daily does not observe practice regularly, but did so Tuesday under heightened interest given the situation.”
Riley apparently wasn’t happy with the industrious student journalists.
The Dallas Morning News reported three to five Sooners players are usually made available to the media on Wednesday and Riley meets with writers on Thursdays. But those sessions were all canceled.
Riley has been known to go to great lengths to conceal what happens at practice. Last year, Newson6.com reported university crews “applied a special opaque film to 54 windows” on buildings across the street from the Sooners’ practice facility.
Riley’s reaction to the story in the student newspaper led to quite a few jokes on Twitter. Here are a few examples.
This story was originally published October 14, 2021 at 10:01 AM.
