Staff writers Ryan Aber and Scott Wright break down the 2020 OU and OSU football schedules,
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State learned its 2020 football schedule on Tuesday, and aside from the early arrival of Bedlam on Oct. 24, it included some interesting nuances.
Here's a look at three takea ways from the Cowboys' schedule for next season:
Thursday opener
The last two years, the Cowboys have opened t he season on a weekday, and the trend will continue with a Thursday opener against visiting Oregon State.
That has a couple different benefits. OSU will be able to open practice one month before the opener, getting the players into camp a couple days earlier than normal. And they'll have a nine-day gap between the opener and their second game, at home against Tulsa.
Homecoming and Halloween
Texas Tech will be at Boone Pick ens Stadium for the Cowboys' well-celebrated homecoming, which also happens to be Oct. 31.
Adding the Halloween element to all the weekend festivities, from Homecoming and Hoops on Friday to the decorations to the football game, it gives students and fans an extra element to add to the fun.
And it'll be a big game for Oklahoma State, coming off Bedlam while also looking for some revenge against the Red Raiders.
Heavy home start
Much the opposite of this season, OSU will be on the friendly turf of Boone Pickens Stadium for i ts entire nonconference slate, then gets a week off.
The first road game will be at TCU on Oct. 3, and the Pokes return home to host Iowa State, before getting into a busy road schedule for four of the next six weeks.
With OU out of the Thanksgiving weekend hole, the Cowboys will conclude the regular season with a visit from Texas on Nov. 28.
The Big 12 Conference has the ability to move two games scheduled for Saturday to Friday that week, but that might not be known for a while.
Either way, that should keep some drama alive for the final week of the regular season, with the Big 12 title game set for Dec. 5.
2020 OSU schedule
Sept. 3, Oregon State
Sept. 12, Tulsa
Sept. 19, Western Illinois Oct. 3, at TCU
Oct. 10, Iowa State
Oct. 17, at Kansas
Oct. 24, at Oklahoma
Oct. 31, Texas Tech
Nov. 7, at Baylor
Nov. 14, West Virginia
Nov. 21, at Kansas StateNov. 28, Texas