Stadium Revamp and NIL Deal on the Agenda
The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents is set to convene next week to deliberate a sweeping $420 million bond proposal aimed at revitalizing Gaylord Family‑Oklahoma Memorial Stadium under the leadership of Joseph Harroz Jr., chair of the board.
Central to the plan is The Palace Project, a redesign that will trim roughly 7,000 seats from the west side of the venue. Construction is slated to commence in 2027, with completion targeted for 2029, a timeline that reflects both cost pressures and a desire to modernize fan experience.
In a separate move, the board will consider a three‑year, $2.3 million annual agreement with Opendorse Inc., a leader in name, image and likeness technology. The partnership would grant the athletics department access to Opendorse’s marketplace, deal‑monitoring and data‑analytics platforms, as well as athlete optimization and onboarding services.
Personnel decisions also feature prominently. Lucas McKay and Mark Taurisani are slated for appointment as new athletics officials, with Taurisani slated to become deputy athletics director at a salary of $335,000 per year. Existing contracts will be revisited, including a raise for Stacey Ford from $190,000 to $230,000 effective April 18, 2026, and adjustments for Joe Castiglione, Veronique Drouin‑Luttrell, Shannon Gage, Matt Mott, Jim Nagy and Michael Neal.
The board will also accept the resignation of men’s golf head coach Ryan Hybl, who has accepted a position at Georgia Tech, further reshaping the coaching landscape.