Why do Texans hate Oklahoma in Young Sheldon? Explained 

The Big Bang Theory's prequel spin-off series, Young Sheldon, introduced Sheldon Cooper's dysfunctional but lovable family to the audiences.

Sheldon's family, being proud Texans, took great honor in their Texan lineage, especially Meemaw, who reminded her young grandson about his ancestors. While Meemaw and Mary were proud Texans, they also had an unexplained contempt/hatred towards Oklahoma.

Cooper's contempt for their neighboring state is never explicitly explained in Young Sheldon, but many fans have interpreted it as a general sibling rivalry between the two states, particularly because of sports.

The annual football match, Red River Showdown, between Texas and Oklahoma can be partly attributed to this general rivalry, instances of which can also be seen in the Cooper family.

More on Texans hatred towards Oklahoma in Young Sheldon in our story.

---

Exploring Meemaw and the Cooper family's hate for Oklahoma in Young Sheldon

Meemaw and the Cooper family, except Sheldon, are true Texans who are proud of their lineage and want their children to inherit the same pride for their state as their ancestors. While Sheldon wants to break free from his Texan roots and even adopts an American accent to fit in, his family, especially Meemaw, reminds him of his Texan roots.

While the Cooper family is proud of their Texan lineage, they also have an inherited contempt for Oklahoma, which is made apparent in many instances.

One of them is when George Sr. gets a coaching position in Tulsa with a higher pay, Meemaw and Mary refuse to shift to Oklahoma. Meemaw even verbalizes this hate, saying Texans simply don't like Oklahoma, like a fact.

In another instance, she dismisses Sheldon's comparing Texas to Oklahoma as 'crazy talk,' which further highlights her contempt for this neighboring state.

While this can be read as a way to preserve her Texan roots, the family did move to Houston in the Young Sheldon finale. Mary decides to move to another state after her husband's death, which clearly highlights that the family was open to a new state as long as it was not Oklahoma.

While Young Sheldon never verbalized the reason for this hate, many fans and Reddit users have linked it to the general rivalry between the two states, especially between their football teams. Since sports is important for both, the general rivalry makes sense, as Reddit user,u/Im_Isaac, points out:

''Extreme sports rivalry (specifically football) from what ive heard. they take football really seriously there. they don't hate each other, but they're very competitive with each other because of the annual red river showdown. thank you for your compliments on the banner as well :)''

''Texas-Oklahoma is one of the biggest college football rivalries every season.'' u/cbhsports, another notes

Another Reddit user, u/Serpephone, points out the general rivalry between the two states, and it looks like Young Sheldon decided to play along in the matter:

''We, as native Texans, used to make fun of our cousins who were born in Oklahoma. They were Okies. It’s a rivalry thing.''

Fan comments highlight the ongoing rivalry between the two states, which is mostly in good spirit and about sports. Young Sheldon also adopted this narrative to imply how Meemaw and the Cooper family took pride in being Texans, and one important assumption for that is to hate Oklahoma.

Also Read: Will there be Season 8 of Young Sheldon? Spinoff of the CBS series, explored

---

For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.