The calendar may still say summer but the sports world is rapidly moving toward football season. This week brings plenty of activity both nationally and across Oklahoma.
The NFL is moving into the heart of the preseason, Major League Baseball is entering the stretch run toward the postseason and college football programs across the country are deep into fall camp. In Oklahoma, the attention is squarely on the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State as both programsprepareforseasons that could set the tone for the future of their respective programs.
For the Oklahoma Sooners, expectations are high after the program was ranked No. 9 in the preseason Coaches Poll. Oklahoma is working through fall camp with quarterback John Mateer among the biggest storylines. Mateer is expected to play a major role in the Sooners’ offense and much of the early camp attention has centered on his development and the chemistry he is building with the offense.
Oklahoma also continues to receive national attention as the Sooners prepare for another season in the Southeastern Conference. The No. 9 preseason ranking puts Oklahoma among the nation’s elite entering the season but the Sooners will have to turn preseason expectations into results once the games begin.
Oklahoma State is entering a much different chapter. New head coach Eric Morris is overseeing the Cowboys’ first season under his leadership and quarterback Drew Mestemaker has quickly become one of the most closely watched players in Stillwater. Mestemaker arrived atOklahomaStateafter playing for Morris at North Texas, giving the new coach a quarterback who already understands his offensive system.
Morris and 35 Oklahoma State players met with reporters Saturday during the school’s annual Football Media Day, officially opening another important stage of the Cowboys’ preparation. Mestemaker’s arrival has generated considerable interest because Oklahoma State is trying to rebound and establish a new identity under Morris.
National analysts, including FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt, have expressed optimism about the Cowboys’ chances of making significant progress in 2026. The Cowboys also received some individual recognition this week when wide receiver Miles Coleman was named to the watch list for the 2026 Paul Hornung Award, which recognizes one of the nation’s most versatile college football players.
The first regular-season test is getting closer. Oklahoma State opens the season Sept. 5 against Tulsa, while Oklahoma’s seasonisapproaching quickly as well. The Sooners’ preseason ranking means every game will carry considerable national attention. While football is beginning to dominate the sports calendar, the Oklahoma City Thunder remain one of the state’s biggest sports stories. The defending NBA champions have spent much of the offseason reshaping and strengthening their roster.
Oklahoma City was active in the NBA Draft and free agency, including selecting Aday Mara with the 12th pick and Otega Oweh with the 16th pick. The Thunder also selected Bennett Stirtz in the second round.
The biggest question surrounding the franchise now is not whether the Thunder have enough talent but how they will keep an extremely talented roster together financially.
One recent discussion has centered on Chet Holmgren and the long-term salary implications of keeping Oklahoma City’s young core together. The Thunder have built a roster filled with young players who are expected to command increasingly large contracts as they become established stars.
For now, Oklahoma City remains in an enviable position. The franchise has a young core, draft assets and the credibility that comes from recent postseason success. The challenge will be maintaining that success as the financial side of the NBA becomes increasingly complicated.
Across the country, NFL trainingcampsareapproaching their final stages as teams prepare for preseason games. The Cowboys are among the teams attracting attention in the region, with Dallas scheduled to travel to Seattle on Saturday, Aug. 15, for a preseason matchup with the Seahawks.
Preseason games are not about wins and losses in the same way regular-season games are but they provide coaches with an important opportunity to evaluate young players, settle position battles and determine which players will make the final roster.
With the regular season approaching, injuries are also becoming increasingly important. Teams are trying to balance getting starters enough work to prepare while avoiding injuries to key players.
MajorLeagueBaseballisalso entering one of the most important portions of its regular season. With the All-Star break and trade deadline now behind them, teams are beginning to separate themselves in the race for division titles and postseason positions. MLB has highlighted several important series this week, including Boston against Toronto, along with other matchups involving teams fighting for playoff position.
Pitching remains a major storyline around the league. Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, thereigningNationalLeague Cy Young Award winner, is trying to regain his dominant form after posting a 3.96 ERA through his first 24 starts this season.
As August progresses, every series becomes more important. Teams that have spent the first four months building a record now have a limited number of games remaining to make their postseason push. OU and Oklahoma State football will dominate headlines but the state’s college sports schedule will quickly become crowded with soccer, volleyball and other fall sports.
The Sooners’ soccer team is scheduled to play Oklahoma State on Aug. 20, while Oklahoma volleyball begins its schedule shortly afterward. For Oklahoma sports fans, that means the relatively quiet summer sports calendar is rapidly disappearing. The Thunder are preparing for another NBA season, the Sooners are carrying a preseason top-10 ranking into SEC play, Oklahoma State is beginning a new era under Morris, Tulsa is preparing for its season and the NFL is moving toward the regular season.
For fans across southern Oklahoma and the Lake Texoma region, the transition is familiar: summer baseball and basketball give way to football, Friday nights become the center of attention and college football once again becomes the dominant conversation.
The biggest question heading intothecomingweeksmaybe whichOklahomafootballprogram can make the biggest statement. Oklahoma State enters with a new coach, a new quarterback and the opportunity to change the direction of the program. By the time September arrives, both will have begun finding out whether the hype surrounding them was justified.