Patty Gasso is again dreaming big, not just for the Oklahoma Sooners, but for all of college softball.
Last week, Gasso mentioned the idea of the Sooners playing a softball game at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, OU’s football venue. Now, she’s inflated the dream for the Sooners to play Texas at the historic Cotton Bowl for softball’s version of the Red River Rivalry.
Gasso wants to see Sooners play Texas at Cotton Bowl, or even take a trip to Ohio Stadium
Texas coach Mike White actually initially sparked the idea. The Oklahoman‘s Joe Mussatto brought up the Red River Rivalry maybe being played at bigger venue when White specifically mentioned the Cotton Bowl, where the Sooners and Longhorns clash every October on the gridiron.
OU just swept the Longhorns this past weekend during Texas’ first visit to the Sooners’ new Love’s Field that just opened last year. During the series finale on Sunday, OU broke a stadium record with 4,609 fans there to watch. Overall, 13,734 fans flooded into Love’s Field over the weekend, the most for any softball series ever in Norman.
I think the game’s at a great point right now,” White said during a postgame press conference. “A lot of people are watching it — watching it on TV. With the Olympics coming (to Oklahoma City) in 2028, there’s another boost for it. It’s a great game. It’s a great sport. And I think it’s starting to catch on.
“Now we just need to promote it, then stop worrying about it not being a revenue sport and saying, ‘Hey, a lot of people want to watch it.'”
In maybe the first instance ever, Gasso and White are on the same page. Gasso was asked about White’s idea, and after a long answer, she paused to ponder again, “Cotton Bowl. …”
The plan to play a softball game at Memorial Stadium might never actually happen because the dimensions of Owen Field can’t currently house a regulation softball diamond. But the brainstorming still won’t stop, and Gasso will leave Norman if the Sooners need to because she wants the sport to grow well beyond that.
Gasso was immediately a fan of the Cotton Bowl idea, and she also admitted that Ohio State coach Kirin Kumar has texted her about the Sooners traveling to play a game in Ohio Stadium, where the Buckeyes play football.
Although White stated that Love’s Field has set the new standard for college softball venues, every football stadium mentioned still dwarfs Patty’s Palace.
