The tides have shifted in Oklahoma’s wrestling community, and statistics don’t lie. The Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) have taken its program to new and unprecedented heights under David Taylor, with its in-state counterpart, the University of Oklahoma (OU), scrambling for its life in regards to being relevant. Attendance statistics verify that while OSU continues to pack Gallagher-Iba Arena, the Sooners have seen a significant downturn in fan activity. It’s a contrast that couldn’t possibly be brighter and one that’s helped secure OSU’s position both in and out of the mat.
This season, OSU saw record attendance, with its 7,597 average per dual. OU’s attendance dropped to 975.5 attendees per dual, down a significant margin from 1,380 a dual season ago. Even its most visited event, its Bedlam dual, could not even outpace OSU’s reliable attendance and atmosphere in attendance and atmosphere. In fact, this is its lowest attendance average in a season since 2019-2020, and it raises an eyebrow about its dwindling fan base.
A look at OU wrestling attendance this season https://t.co/2XsL67u29I
— Oklahoma Wrestling (@o__wrestle) February 5, 2025
But this isn’t about attendance; it’s about culture. David Taylor’s presence has lit a spark, and OSU is now the state’s most exciting wrestling program. His Olympic and World Championship pedigree breathed new life into the Cowboys, and it’s apparent. Taylor’s built a competitive and exciting team, recruiting high-level talent and new coaching methodologies that have kept everyone engaged. OSU’s new success on the mat—most recently a blowout over No. 20 Missouri in front of 10,740—has only added fuel to its rapid rise.
Meanwhile, OU’s struggles have persisted, and its attendance dip is a reflection of deeper issues in the program. Whatever it is – holding onto its top talent, its fan base energized – the Sooners have not kept pace with its arch-rival. That attendance and fan drop-off raises a deeper question: Has OU’s wrestling program lost its competitive edge?
Strategic success vs. declining interest
While Oklahoma stumbled, OSU double-downed in an attempt to maintain its momentum. Home duals have been paired with special events, and fan attendance has increased with an experience out of each bout and not merely a competition. With its best wrestlers in the age of a transfer portal, its success in holding onto them kept the team competitive, and nationally, it dominated.
Media outreach has played a part in OSU’s sustained success, too, through partnering with high-profile radio personalities like The Franchise and Kelly Gregg. OSU has been successful in getting its fan base out of its traditionalists and into casual observers, and then in getting them in and involved in the sport. With added organized fan events, a strong community for the program has been built, with followers feeling part of an integral part of the journey of the Cowboys.
On the one hand, OU hasn’t maximized these factors, and a palpable distance between the fan base and the program can be seen. With no successful marketing campaign and no continued efforts at reconnecting with them, attendance is in a downturn, and morale is low. OSU’s fanfare level hasn’t been attained, and getting its loyalists to regain attendance hasn’t been easy.
David Taylor’s coaching has become a force at OSU, and Oklahoma is searching for answers in vain. What’s most striking is that one school is thriving, and one is sliding towards irrelevance. With Taylor at the helm, OSU isn’t just dominating on the mat—They’re dominating in the stands, in the press, and in the minds of fans. As the season continues, the ascent of the Cowboys and the demise of the Sooners only serves to heighten the transition in Oklahoma’s wrestling supremacy.
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