Weiberg Will Hand Football Scheduling Over to New Deputy Reid Sigmon

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State fans can now look forward to seven future home-and-home football series in the non conference with six fellow Power Five programs (Arkansas is scheduled for a pair or home-and-home series). There was a time that the only time the Cowboys could get a non conference game with a Power Five opponent would be by taking a money game and playing that opponent on the road or having ESPN belly up and bring the two together at a neutral site for a made-for-TV match-up. Things have changed and you can thank former deputy athletic director and now athletic director Chad Weiberg.

Weiberg started the football scheduling as he had done that some at both Kansas State and Texas Tech. He had contacts that helped him in picking up the phone and negotiating agreements that worked for both schools. 

Note: Oregon State still owes Oklahoma State a home date in their series from the Cowboys playing in Corvallis in 2019. An ideal return would be in either 2030 or 2031, two seasons where the Pokes are without a Power Five opponent.

The long-time experience Weiberg had as an administrator in the Big 12 allowed him to realize and align with football head coach Mike Gundy and his feelings about football scheduling. 

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Oklahoma State fans will have a chance to see their team play  Alabama in Stillwater and here in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“We want to play a game with a team that is competitive each year, maybe a home-and-home with that team either a Power Five or a strong Group of Five program,” Gundy said of his ideal non conference schedule. “Then we want to play a Group of Five team that we will beat most of the time and play those games primarily at home. We want to play a team that we will be heavily favored to beat. That game needs to be at home and a game where we have a chance to stretch our roster, play a lot of players, and take advantage of getting better.”

Scheduling is an area that Weiberg really elevated as it had been difficult prior to his arrival and honestly, some poor scheduling had taken place on a regular basis. Oklahoma State needed to be more assertive.

“With the Arkansas and Oregon series it really helped that I knew the other person involved in scheduling from the other school. That always helps,” Weiberg said after the Arkansas series was scheduled. “It helps that Coach Gundy is on board with what we are trying to do and in making our schedule attractive to fans.”

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The Cowboys visit Autzen Stadium in Eugene in 2025.

Weiberg was able to continue his scheduling plan and make advances during the COVOD-19 pandemic. The move to playing schools closer, like Arkansas and some old Big 12 rivals that had left, became more attractive.

"I think that is true that the (pandemic) had schools looking more and more regionally to schedule future opponents in football and all sports," Weiberg stated. "I feel really good that we had started down that path before any of this started. I feel like we are in a good position there and we will continue to do that as much as possible."

Weiberg will now count on his new deputy athletic director Reid Sigmon to carry on that scheduling success. Sigmon handled scheduling for Tennessee and the SEC schools are a different animal with four non conference games and usually two lighter opponents in the mix annually.

We knew with his experience in finances with huge monster events like the Final Four and NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and the College Football Playoff that Sigmon was going to be asked to manage and correct some of the issues with the business of the athletic department, but hearing he will take on scheduling as well in interesting.

"Reid will be a big part of everything we do,” Weiberg told me at his opening news conference. “He will come in and fill the chief operating role. I had the pleasure of working with Reid at Kansas State and could not be more impressed with his intelligence, his skill and his relationship building.”

The more Chad Weiberg spoke of his new deputy, the more you begin to believe this is a “home run” hire that will go a long way toward further success in the athletic department under the regime of President Dr. Kayse Shrum and Weiberg as Director of Athletics.

“It's not just what he does, it is how he does it, Weiberg said of Sigmon. “I think he will be a great part of our team and fit in really well with our team. He has a well-rounded background and experience that he will bring to our team. Certainly, it will be helpful (with the financial category), but he'll be part of a lot more than that.”

Actually, some quick checking shows Tennessee has nothing on the books for 2030 and 2031. We could all use a double dip of orange. Say Oklahoma State goes to Tennessee in 2030 and Oregon State comes to Stillwater for a rare double dip of Power Five non conference and then Tennessee comes to Oklahoma State in 2031 or vice versa. Sigmon can probably get that done.