Jan. 28, 2026
NEW Athletic Director!| Fines from Coaches? | Oklahoma Sooners Football | Sooner Smiths LIVE #31
The player is loading ...
The show, hosted by Tierani Smith and Chad Smith, covers Oklahoma Sooners updates during the offseason, with a casual, fan-focused vibe including personal anecdotes, sports rants, and fan interaction.Opening & Show Setup (0:00–3:00)
- Hosts introduce themselves as the Sooner Smiths; live every Monday at 7 p.m.
- Audio glitch with intro; casual check-in with viewers.
- Sponsored by FanDuel.
- Welcome to new and returning viewers; encourage subscriptions/memberships ($2.99+).
- Offseason mode: Pulling topics "out of a hat" since football is done.
- Women's Basketball: Strong recent performances.
- Big win over South Carolina (top-tier team, #3 odds to win national title per FanDuel; Coach Dawn Staley).
- Exciting overtime comeback; freshman Chavez exploded (5/5 FG, multiple 3s after slow start).
- Hosts attended LSU and South Carolina games; great atmosphere, loud crowd.
- Win over Auburn (away, some lull but pulled it out).
- Upcoming: vs. Texas A&M (tough matchup).
- Men's Basketball: Frustrating skid.
- "Cursed" losses (e.g., Mizzou double buzzer-beater, rare in D1 history).
- Constant close defeats (1-2 points); poor execution (e.g., leaving time on clock).
- NIL struggles (near last in conference); product on court not drawing fans.
- Upcoming: vs. Arkansas (Buddy Hield jersey retirement, bobbleheads; Arkansas favored by only 2.5 despite OU's last-place SEC standing).
- Hosts support but hesitant to attend in person due to blowouts/losses.
- Arena/facility investment tied to better performance (women's team sells out; men's doesn't).
- Gymnastics: Beat Georgia at home; banner drop postponed for packed house.
- Upcoming: at Kentucky (Friday), home vs. Alabama (Feb 6).
- Women's team back at #1 ranking.
- Men's team struggles continue; frustration with close losses and bad luck.
- Joe Castiglione retired (announced July 2025-ish); long search ended with hiring Roger Denny (Deputy AD/COO at Illinois).
- Background: Former corporate attorney (15+ years; focus on compensation, tax, finance, licensing); at Illinois since 2021.
- Key Illinois achievements: Ticket sales/attendance growth, $100M donation (largest in school history), strong NIL strategy, football oversight.
- Why him? Legal expertise for NIL/contracts/collective bargaining era; experience in "disruptive" college sports landscape.
- No "old-school" bias; only knows NIL world.
- Works with Randall Stephenson (former AT&T CEO, special adviser/chair of athletics) and President Joseph Harroz Jr.
- Hosts' take: Not a "splashy" big name, but proactive/forward-thinking hire.
- Trust in process (Bob Stoops, others endorsed?); better than someone resistant to change.
- Emphasis on business/contracts/fundraising in new era (revenue sharing, potential regulations).
- Excitement for potential Crimson & Cream collective revival; broader donor access (e.g., small $5/month donations).
- Fans in comments: Mixed (some "who's this?"); hosts defend—most fans don't know other ADs anyway.
- Deion instituted fines for accountability (attendance, conduct).
- Full list (from team meeting):
- Late to practice: $500
- No-show practice: $2,500
- Late to meeting/film: $400
- No-show meeting/film: $2,000
- Late to strength/conditioning: $1,000
- No-show strength/conditioning: $1,500
- Late to treatment: $1,000
- No-show treatment: $1,500
- Team rules violation: $1,000–$2,500 (severity-based)
- Public/social media misconduct: $2,000–$5,000 (severity-based)
- Additional: Nike apparel rules (no non-Nike at team events); report legal issues quickly; damage equipment fines.
- Hosts support: Players get paid (NIL), so treat like pros (NFL fines similar); builds accountability/culture.
- Easy fix: Just show up on time/respect rules.
- Ideas: Use fine money for walk-ons/pizza party/raffle.
- Broader rant: NIL era needs responsibility; no free passes; real-world parallels (jobs, contracts).
- Players returning: Punter Grayson Miller, kicker(s).
- Hosts' personal: Pregnancy (Tierani), snow days, dog Zeno (picked national champ correctly; hates snow).
- Thunder mention (injuries); random tangents (e.g., old rules like 6-on-6 basketball; men's vs. women's hoops debate).
- Call to action: Like, comment, retweet.
- Sign-off: See you next Monday; stay safe from weather.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
