NEWS
NORMAN, Okla. – University of Oklahoma students have begun an approximately 180-mile journey to kick off the Red River Rivalry against the University of Texas in the 28th Annual Run to Dallas.
More than 90 OU students are delivering the game ball for Saturday’s matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns. At least two students are running at all times during daylight hours, rotating with others following in support vans, over the course of two days.
Their route will end at the Texas State Fairgrounds, where they will be joined by University of Texas students who have also made the trek on foot to Dallas. The two groups will present their respective game balls to Cotton Bowl officials for the rivalry game on October 11.
The Sooners began their run at around 8:10 a.m. Wednesday at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Head Football Coach Brent Venables delivered remarks before handing the game ball to OU student Mariah Gahl.
OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. joined the students in their first leg, along with first responders from the OU and Norman Emergency Services.
After the run, the OU students will join their Texas counterparts in a series of friendly head-to-head sporting competitions and gather together for lunch and camaraderie. They’re also encouraged to enjoy the Texas State Fair and Red River Rivalry matchup.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
A decade-long partnership between the University of Oklahoma and Southcentral Foundation, an Alaska Native-owned, nonprofit health care organization based in Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to grow and strengthen a research workforce serving American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.
Soami Ellis, a recent OU graduate, has become the university’s first professional helicopter major to earn a CFI rating. This milestone is made possible through a recently established School of Aviation program made in partnership with Semper Fly Helicopters in Norman.
The University of Oklahoma is experiencing a period of transformation few institutions in higher education can match – but OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. says the university’s progress is less a finish line than a foundation for what comes next.
