What’s happening, Oklahoma? Here’s your ‘Opening Act’…

1. Mike Gundy fired as OSU head football coach.
2. OC Doug Meacham named interim head coach.
3. Oklahoma QB John Mateer to have surgery.
4. Temps in the 70s. Low rain chances. ☂️
5. Watch President Trump’s full speech to the U.N.
6. Disney raising prices on streaming packages.
7. Tulsa series ‘The Lowdown’ debuted Tuesday night.
8. Cheapest gas: OKC | Tulsa ⛽

Be sure to follow ‘Oklahoma Memo’ on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. There is also a YouTube channel — and it’s all growing day by day.

You can message me anytime at [email protected].

Weather Update 🌩️

Slight chance of rain, storms. Temps in the mid-to-upper 70s.

🌡️ Wednesday's high in OKC 77°
🌡️ Wednesday’s high in Tulsa 77°

Oklahoma State fires football coach Mike Gundy after two decades at helm

By Ryan LaCroix, KOSU
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Oklahoma State University has fired head football coach Mike Gundy following a disappointing 2024 season and slow start to the current campaign.

Gundy spent more than three decades as a player and coach at OSU, including the past 21 seasons leading the program.

He is OSU’s longest-tenured and winningest coach, with 170 victories. That is 108 more wins than the second-winningest coach in program history, Pat Jones.

Gundy was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year three times — as recently as 2023 — and has won two national coach of the year awards.

After experiencing a losing season in 2005 as a first-year head coach, Gundy's teams embarked on 18-straight seasons with winning records.

But, in 2024, his team finished with a record of 3 wins and 9 losses, and was held winless in conference play for the first time in 30 years.

Earlier this month, the team suffered the program’s worst defeat since before Oklahoma statehood in a 69-3 loss to Oregon. The final straw seems to be a 19 to 12 loss on Friday to the University of Tulsa, which featured a chorus of boos from the home crowd.

Click here to finish the story.

‘Bedlam Buds’ podcast debuts: Episode 1 focuses on Mike Gundy’s firing and John Mateer’s injury

Well, my long-time friend Jeremy and I had been talking about launching a sports podcast for a few weeks.

And then Mike Gundy got fired.

And then John Mateer got hurt.

Who needs a plan, right? It was ‘go’ time.

The ‘Bedlam Buds’ podcast was born. Hosted by University of Oklahoma graduate and long-time Sooners devotee (and ‘Oklahoma Memo’ editor) Ryan Welton and Oklahoma State University graduate and long-time Cowboys supporter Jeremy Cook, we prove that rivalry doesn’t have to be unfriendly.

We’ll talk sports in a candid, fun way — and we hope you’ll give it a watch and even subscribe to our YouTube channel. The podcast will eventually be everywhere you listen to audio, too.

PODCAST: Mike Gundy fired at OSU, OU's John Mateer injured | Reaction & CFB analysis: Bedlam Buds, Episode 1

Controversial Oklahoma turnpike route will shift westward

By Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
Click here to read the story
Donate to Oklahoma Voice

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority on Tuesday announced it has decided to move a controversial new turnpike route about two miles to the west.

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s top priority when setting the new Norman-area turnpike route was minimizing the impact on people’s homes, said Joe Echelle, executive director.

“It was especially important to us that the new alignment avoid populated subdivisions, section line roads and dense development,” he said.

Engineers also looked closely at  environmental considerations such as floodplains, municipal use plans and existing utilities, he said.

Officials have been looking for a new corridor after the original route, dubbed the South Extension Turnpike, had to be revised when the U.S. Bureau of Land Reclamation determined the corridor proposed in 2022 was not compatible with the designated federal uses on Lake Thunderbird land in Norman.

The new route will eventually connect interstates 35 and 40, which supporters say will alleviate traffic congestion on I-35.

The new alignment starts at Indian Hills Road and runs south between 48th Street and 60th Avenue through Norman. It continues south past Oklahoma Highway 9. In the Noble area, the alignment will cross U.S. Highway 77 followed by the Canadian River before connecting with Interstate 35 north of Purcell.

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027, with the northern portion of the South Extension Turnpike opening in 2032. The southern portion, from Oklahoma Highway 9 to Interstate 35, is expected to open in 2034. 

The new alignment is expected to impact about 75 homes, the same number as the original plan, said Trenton January, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority chief engineer.  

Click here to finish the story

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I will also offer one-time story placement, branded clearly as sponsored content. Keep it to 250 words or thereabouts with an image and a call-to-action. There are also opportunities on other platforms for us to work together.

Monthly contracts available, and I can be super flexible to make the partnership meet your business needs.

The Oklahoma Rundown 📰

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• State superintendent calls for Turning Point USA chapter at every high school in Oklahoma (KOSU)

• 'Don’t like forced anything': Plan to put Turning Point USA chapters in every school faces pushback (KOCO)

• Schools say they didn't know Ryan Walters was investigating them over Charlie Kirk (The Oklahoman)

• As EPS principal’s resignation draws crowds, attorney decries ‘corrupt administrators’ (NonDoc)

• Tulsa city court limits public access to court records and requests for information can take weeks or months (The Frontier)

• Operation SAFE displacements add barriers to resources (Oklahoma Watch)

• Tulsa group implores lawmakers to change immigration policy (Public Radio Tulsa)

• Edmond demands jury trial over denied Walmart Neighborhood Market development (The Oklahoman)

• Norman City Councilwoman Bree Montoya announces resignation after social media comments (KOCO)

• OKC to consider $600,000 toward new $46.7 million medical research lab, creating 433 jobs (The Oklahoman)

• Tulsa Tech Week debuts in the 918’s growing tech economy (The Black Wall Street Times)

• Hoskin discusses self-governance at Senate hearing (Cherokee Phoenix)

• Bixby set to fly Muscogee Nation flag at city hall (Public Radio Tulsa)

• Westwin Elements highlights what's at stake for U.S.'s critical minerals pursuit, Indigenous ways of being (KOSU)

• 'The consummate pastoral leader': Catholics remember legacy of OKC archbishop emeritus (The Oklahoman)

• SEC reveals OU football's conference opponents for 2026-29 seasons (Tulsa World)

• Farming accident claims life of young woman in Woods County (KOCO)

• OHP releases final report on Minco school bus crash (KSWO)

• New scam impersonating OCSO deputy actually connects to 'escort service' in OKC (News 9)

• Sallisaw hospital roof damaged in storm (News On 6)

Oklahoma Memo’s Mission

The ‘Oklahoma Memo’ mission is simple: Reignite the daily news habit by connecting Oklahomans and those who love Oklahoma to quality sources of news and vetted information.

✅ Save you time.
✅ Make you smarter.
✅ Protect Democracy.