New OU softball stadium on track for 2024 opener & more from OU Board of Regents meeting
NORMAN — When Thad Turnipseed left OU in late June, there was plenty of questions about how Brent Venables would handle delegating the duties Turnipseed held as Venables’ right-hand man.
Some of that answer finally came Wednesday when the OU Board of Regents approved a title change and raise for Woody Glass during its regularly scheduled meeting in Duncan.
Here’s a look at that move and more from the regents meeting:
More: As OU football's Danny Stutsman elevates game, prospects grow brighter for Sooners defense
Woody Glass transitions
The regents approved a raise to $310,000, just more than $30,000 annually, for Woody Glass, who had been a special assistant to Brent Venables.
Glass will now serve as “football operations administrator.”
The title isn’t exactly the same as the one Turnipseed held as Executive Director of Football Administration.
Sooners athletic director Joe Castiglione told reporters after the meeting that some other duties Turnipseed held have been distributed amongst existing staff members.
Prior to joining Venables’ staff, Glass was an attorney in Norman who represented OU athletes at times..
More: Tulsa homecoming might mean more to Robert Spears-Jennings than anyone on OU football team
Softball stadium on track
Castiglione also offered an update on the progress of Love’s Field, the under-construction home of OU softball.
Castiglione said construction appeared to be on track for the stadium to be ready to open next season.
Sod for the stadium, being built just west of Jenkins Avenue and south of Marita Hynes Field, is expected to start being laid “in the next several weeks.”
It’s been nearly a year since the groundbreaking ceremony signaled the start of the construction, after Love’s Travel Stops kickstarted the project with a $12 million donation toward the $47.9 million project.
As of June, approximately $33 million of the total cost had been raised.
Here are some other bullet points from the meeting:
Castiglione said OU knows how much it would be expected to contribute to a proposed new arena project in Norman but declined to release the figure, though said it would in the future.
He said Lloyd Noble Center would remain the home to OU’s practice facilities for men’s and women’s basketball, but the use of the rest of the arena space could be modified significantly should the new arena be built.
OU softball assistants JT Gasso and Jennifer Rocha had raises of $7,500 approved. Rocha’s base salary is now $222,500 and Gasso’s $192,500.
OU baseball coach Skip Johnson’s contract was extended through the 2027 season. Assistant Reggie Willits’ contract was extended through the 2025 season. Assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Todd Butler’s one-year contract at a $210,000 base salary was approved as well.
New men’s basketball assistant Clayton Custer’s one-year contract with a base salary of $250,000.
More: Relive OU softball's run to three straight WCWS titles with our 'Crimson Empire' book
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: New OU softball stadium, Love's Field, on track for 2024 opener
