In the closing moments of his introductory news conference, new Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris gave a nod to the "university south of here" and conveyed his enthusiasm for reviving the Bedlam rivalry with Oklahoma.
"I'd love to get on the phone with anybody that we know that could help us bring that game back," Morris said Monday of the 121-year-old football rivalry that has remained dormant since Oklahoma left the Big 12 for the SEC after the 2023 season. "If they're asking if Coach Morris welcomes that game, I'd welcome it with open arms."
Conversations surrounding the future of the in-state rivalry game have bubbled since Oklahoma State closed the annual series with a win over the Sooners in 2023. This fall, the Tulsa World reported that Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione contacted the Cowboys earlier this year about scheduling a nonconference game, but that interest from Oklahoma State remained "minimal."
"We're not against playing that game. It just has to work out with the schedule," Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg later told reporters Monday. "[Oklahoma has] new scheduling parameters now. We'll just continue to have to work through when the timing is right."
Days after coaching North Texas in the American Conference title game, Morris laid out championship expectations and explained why Oklahoma State was "the most perfect fit" for him and his family after three seasons with the Mean Green.
The 40-year-old Morris arrives in Stillwater to replace Mike Gundy, who was fired in September as the winningest coach in program history. With former walk-on quarterback Drew Mestemaker under center, Morris led the Mean Green to the program's first double-digit-win season this fall, guiding North Texas within a game of the College Football Playoff before losing to Tulane in the American Conference title game last Friday.
A former Texas Tech wide receiver raised in the small west Texas town of Shallowater, Morris was a reported candidate for multiple Power 4 openings this coaching cycle.
On Monday, he said the Big 12 has "always been in my blood" and explained that Oklahoma State jelled with both his personal and professional ambitions, presenting a fit for his young family and the resources -- facilities, recruiting profile, booster support, etc. -- to compete atop the conference, at one point turning to Weiberg to assert that belief.
"Can we win a championship? Sorry, Chad, but my answer to that is, hell yes," Morris said. "We can win a damn championship around here."
Morris shoulders the weight of replacing a legend in Gundy and the challenge of turning around a program that finished 1-11 this fall. The Cowboys also have lost 19 straight conference games since that 2023 Bedlam victory against the Sooners.
North Texas was still in the thick of the American title race with a path to the playoff when Oklahoma State formally hired Morris last month. At the time, Mean Green athletic director Jared Mosley said Morris would continue to lead the program for the remainder of the 2025 season.
On Monday, when UNT introduced former West Virginia and Troy coach Neal Brown to replace Morris, Mosley said North Texas would "look into letting [Morris] be a little more engaged" with Oklahoma State and indicated plans for UNT to appoint an interim coach for the New Mexico Bowl matchup vs. San Diego State on Dec. 27.
"I think right now, my 100% attention has switched over to Oklahoma State football," Morris said Monday.