Six home games on Sooners' 2000 schedule

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Oklahoma's football team will begin the 2000 season with four straight home games, part of a schedule that includes six games at Memorial Stadium. The schedule released Tuesday

Wednesday, January 5th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Oklahoma's football team will begin the 2000 season with four straight home games, part of a schedule that includes six games at Memorial Stadium. The schedule released Tuesday includes games against four teams that went to bowl games in 1999 and a renewal of the rivalry with Nebraska. "Scheduling is a real challenge because you want a schedule that is appealing to your fans but allows your team to be successful," athletic director Joe Castiglione said. "I believe that we have been successful on both counts."

The Sooners will open Sept. 2 against Texas-El Paso, then play Arkansas State the following week. After an open date, they closeout September with home games against Rice and Kansas. The other two home games are Oct. 28 against Nebraska and Nov.18 against Texas Tech. The Sooners play Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Oct. 7and follow that with a road game against Kansas State.

After Nebraska, they play at Baylor on Nov. 4 and at Texas A&M on Nov.11. They finish the season at Oklahoma State on Nov. 25. "I believe that our schedule will challenge us differently each week," coach Bob Stoops said. "We are still growing as a team and we need challenges to help us get stronger." In 1999, its first season under Stoops, Oklahoma finished 7-5 and played in a bowl game for the first time since 1994.