Is UCO ready to make Division-I leap? Bronchos keeping options open

EDMOND — Stan Wagnon, vice president for athletics at the University of Central Oklahoma, doesn’t shy away from what’s been a decades-old question.

Could UCO, a Division-II institution since 1988, ever make the leap to Division-I?

“It’s come and gone,” Wagnon said of the question, “and there’s probably a study somewhere on a shelf that we could point back too.

“We probably need to pull it off the shelf and say, ‘Where are we now?’”

The future of college sports is very much in flux, look no further than the House vs. NCAA lawsuit which would pave the way for revenue sharing between schools and student-athletes, but UCO wants to be ready to act once the dust settles.

UCO, with an enrollment of around 12,000 students, is one of 162 Division-II schools with a football program. The Bronchos, which open the season at 7 p.m. Saturday against Langston, play in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).

UCO is the only Oklahoma school in the conference that plays football. Northeastern State in Tahlequah is a member of the MIAA in all sports but football.

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As Division-I is changing with conference reality, the possibility of a “super league” and whatever else is on the horizon, Division-II is dealing with changes of its own.

“The Division-II membership now is not what it used to be,” Wagnon said. “Most of the new schools coming into Division-II don’t look like UCO. There’s a lot of them that are private, there’s a lot of them that don’t play football, so I think it’s wise for us to pay attention to the landscape and be ready for the next opportunity that comes our way.”

Adam Dorrel, 11-11 as UCO’s coach, is entering his third season. Jett Huff, a Houston transfer, will quarterback the Bronchos this season. While Huff plays against Langston on Saturday night, his former team will be 35 miles south facing the Sooners.

UCO and Langston used to be annual NAIA rivals, but Saturday will be their first time playing since 1999. UCO will host the game at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond, but Langston won’t be getting the ordinary visitor’s treatment.

Langston’s marching band will play at halftime and there will be tailgating events for both teams before the game.

Stan Wagnon’s father, Skip, was UCO’s longtime athletic director. Stan grew up going to UCO-Langston games.

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Despite the two schools playing at separate levels, Stan Wagnon and Langston coach Quinton Morgan collaborated to bring the series back.

“One of the things I feel like we could do better at UCO,” Wagnon said, “is we could have more school spirit, we could have a better gameday environment and our fans could be a little more into supporting our team… playing an in-state school could help that.”

Before taking the UCO head coaching job, Dorrel was a three-time national champion coach at Northwest Missouri State, his alma mater and an MIAA leaguemate of UCO’s. Dorrel also coached at Abilene Christian, helping the Wildcats transition into the Division-I FCS ranks.

Dorrel sees a similar upside at UCO.

“It’s not just athletics, it’s not just football, to me it’s the entire university — there’s a big ceiling here that I don’t believe has been hit,” Dorrel said. “…I want to be at a place that’s not finished out. I want to be at a place that has room for growth.

“I really saw that when I took the job. I see it now with Stan’s vision. Our new president, I think Todd’s very sharp and has a vision of where he wants this place to go.

Todd Lamb, the former Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor, was named UCO’s president in July 2023.

“I think he has aspirations for UCO and what it could become,” Wagnon said. “We’re the third-largest university in the state, and I think he wants us to start acting like it.”

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What that means for the football program is still to be determined.

“It’s all up in the air until we get that clarity of what’s going to happen at the highest level,” Wagnon said.

Wagnon said a move into the Division-I FCS ranks is a possibility, “and always has been.”

No Oklahoma school plays in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-AA.

Wagnon can also envision a shift within Division-II, where some schools separate into a new tier.

“A lot of different directions it could go, but I think in general, UCO wants to be on the forefront of it,” Wagnon said.

UCO already has a top-tier Division-II home in Chad Richison Stadium, but winning more games and growing the fanbase would go a long way in boosting UCO’s attractiveness as a program.

A program looking to take that next step.

“I think you’re going to see us use athletics to better the overall brand and identity of the university,” Wagnon said. “Whether that entails moving to Division-I or not, I don’t think we’ve answered that question … but we’re willing to ask the question and then answer it for ourselves.”

Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at [email protected]. Support Joe’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

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UCO vs. Langston

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. Saturday at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond