Sooners announce 2003 football schedule

<br>NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ A home date against UCLA and a road trip to Alabama highlight Oklahoma's 2003 football schedule. <br><br>The 12-game schedule announced Thursday includes seven home games.

Friday, November 15th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ A home date against UCLA and a road trip to Alabama highlight Oklahoma's 2003 football schedule.

The 12-game schedule announced Thursday includes seven home games.

Oklahoma travels to Alabama Sept. 6 to complete the two-year contract that brought the Crimson Tide to Norman this season.

UCLA will be in town Sept. 20 to open a home-and-home series that will see Oklahoma travel to California for a game against the Bruins in 2005.

The Sooners open the season Aug. 30 against North Texas and will play Fresno State Sept. 13 in the first meeting between the teams.

The schedule includes games against nine teams that are .500 or better this season.

``I've said many times creating the most appropriate schedule for our football team is an important element in positioning our team for success,'' Athletic Director Joe Castiglione said. ``In addition, schedule strength is an even more important factor in pursuit of a national championship within the current BCS structure.''

The annual showdown with Texas in Dallas will be Oct. 11. The Bedlam game against Oklahoma State, held over the Thanksgiving weekend for the past three years, will be moved up to Nov. 1.