Roger Denny has made one of the biggest decisions of his young tenure as Oklahoma’s athletic director: extending Brent Venables through 2031 at $10.5 million per year.

Was it a deserved reward after a 10-2 season — or an unnecessary financial gamble?

On this episode of The Long View, Oklahoma Memo founder Ryan Welton and veteran sports columnist Clay Horning (OklahomaColumnist.com) break down the new contract and the risk it creates for OU. Clay calculates that if the Sooners move on from Venables after the 2027 season, the university could owe approximately $42 million — $25 million more than it would have owed under the previous deal.

Ryan and Clay also debate whether Venables has stabilized the program, what Ben Arbuckle must prove as offensive coordinator and whether Kevin Wilson provides OU with a valuable safety net. Plus, they explain why John Mateer, an experienced offensive line and a potentially improved running game could give the Sooners a dramatically better offense in 2026.

Denny has now placed major bets on both Venables and men’s basketball coach Porter Moser. If those bets fail, what happens?

Read more from Clay Horning at OklahomaColumnist.com, and subscribe to the Oklahoma Memo (OklahomaMemo.com) newsletter. Hits your inbox six days a week at 7 a.m.