Oklahoma signs Brent Venables to six-year deal as Sooners eye return to CFP in 2026 season

With the 2026 season right around the corner, Oklahoma has signed coach Brent Venables to a new six-year contract, the school announced on Thursday. Sources tell CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello that Venables will be paid $10 million this season with a $200,000 increase in each of the next five years.

"The work on his extension began shortly after our team's run to the College Football Playoff, and one of my top priorities in my first several months as athletics director was to make sure we saw that process through," Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny said in a statement. "I believe strongly in Coach Venables, in the culture he has built and in the structure we have in place around our football program. There simply isn't a better ambassador for Oklahoma Football than Brent Venables. He represents this university and our program with incredible passion and authenticity, and I'm excited to continue building with him. Adding two years to his contract gives us the stability and continuity we need as we pursue championships for all of Sooner Nation."

Coming off a 6-7 season in 2024, the pressure was on Venables to get the Sooners back on track, and he delivered. He brought in quarterback John Mateer and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle from Washington State. That duo elevated the offense while Venables made sure the defense was among the very best in the country.

The result was a 10-win regular season that included three consecutive wins over ranked opponents -- Alabama, Tennessee and Missouri -- down the stretch. That was enough to get the Sooners into the College Football Playoff, but they dropped a home game to the Crimson Tide in the first round.

After stacking up double-digit wins for the second time in his tenure, Venables now boasts a 32-20 record with the Sooners.

Venables has been rewarded for his efforts, and he faces high expectations in 2026. Oklahoma returns 14 starters, which is tied for the second-most in the FBS. Among those returnees are Mateer, star wide receiver Isaiah Sategna and an offensive line that could be among the top five units in the country.

It won't take long to find out just how good Oklahoma is in 2026. In Week 2, the Sooners travel up to Ann Arbor to play a Michigan team that has Big Ten title aspirations under first-year coach Kyle Whittingham.

Venables' uneven tenure at Oklahoma

This year, especially with this new contract in hand, Venables will try to break a pattern that has emerged in his first four seasons on the job.

To this point, Venables has alternated six- and 10-win seasons at Oklahoma. The good news for the Sooners is that, through his efforts in the transfer portal and high school recruiting, Venables has probably raised the team's floor above six wins. Still, Venables will need to show more consistency to justify his eight-figure salary.

Of course, the win-column whiplash isn't the only troubling aspect of the above table. Venables has yet to win a postseason game with the Sooners, ranging from the Armed Forces Bowl to the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Last year's defeat was particularly discouraging as the Sooners let a playoff victory slip through their hands after blowing a 17-0 lead to the Crimson Tide at home. Even if Oklahoma puts up 10-plus wins in 2026, Venables must prove he can get the job done against the best teams on the sport's biggest stage.

Oklahoma's 2026 outlook

So, how likely is it that Venables gets another shot at the College Football Playoff this season? The Sooners certainly have the roster to compete for a spot in the playoff this fall, but the schedule presents a major obstacle.

Oklahoma is set to face five teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a tougher start to the season. By the end of September, the Sooners will have played road games against No. 16 Michigan and No. 3 Georgia. Their next game after that is against No. 5 Texas.

2026 Oklahoma schedule

• vs. UTEP (Sept. 4)
• at No. 16 Michigan (Sept. 16)
• vs. New Mexico (Sept. 19)
• at No. 3 Georgia (Sept. 26)
• vs. No. 5 Texas (Oct. 10)
• vs. Kentucky (Oct. 17)
• at Mississippi State (Oct. 24)
• vs. South Carolina (Oct. 31)
• at Florida (Nov. 7)
• vs. No. 9 Ole Miss (Nov. 14)
• vs. No. 8 Texas A&M (Nov. 21)
• at No. 25 Missouri (Nov. 28)

The schedule lightens up for a bit after Oklahoma's brutal start, but there's a very real possibility that the team has three losses by Oct. 11. If that happens, the Sooners will have to run the table if they want any shot at a playoff berth.

There are reasons to believe the Sooners can survive that early stretch and put themselves in good position to win 10 games, however. For starters, the running game can't possibly be much worse. After making a transfer portal splash with Jadyn Ott, Oklahoma averaged just 118.5 yards per game, which ranked 112th nationally.

Venables made improving in that area a major priority this offseason.

"Overall, we've got to be a more aggressive, physical, offensive unit running the football," Venables said at SEC media days. "It starts with mentality. You look at fundamentals, how you coach it, how you teach it, how you correct it, what you emphasize. I want to see people physically running off the football, just like I want to see a defense getting off the rock. I watch the game with that lens."

Getting more out of the traditional run game would take some work off the shoulders of Mateer, who took a beating last year. Including sacks, Mateer totaled 149 rushing attempts in 2025, and he missed a game after undergoing mid-season hand surgery.

Now healthy, Mateer said he's revamped his throwing mechanics and learned "uncomfortable" lessons from reviewing critical mistakes in key moments. If the Sooners can keep Mateer upright and he takes another step as a passer, that could help the offense hit another gear.