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Carlton: How success of Sooners' basketball and football teams helps to energize both programs

HOUSTON -- Appropriately, football coach Bob Stoops will be courtside at NRG Stadium for Oklahoma's Final Four game Saturday against Villanova.

At OU, football and men's basketball are joined together in what has been a special athletic year.

The Sooners reached the College Football Playoff, the first Big 12 team to do so. And Oklahoma is back in the Final Four for the first time since the 2002 Hollis Price team went to the Georgia Dome.

"Our university takes a lot of pride in that," said Oklahoma senior forward Ryan Spangler, who grew up an OU football and basketball fan in Bridge Creek, Okla.