Go Pokes! A Fan’s Guide to OK State Cowboys Football Game Day

Ride ‘em Cowboys, right down the field! At Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma, fans are always ready to ride as the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team gets back in the saddle each Saturday. With your OK State Cowboys tickets and Boone Pickens Stadium tickets successfully wrangled, check out the Oklahoma State football game day guide below with helpful tips on tailgates, traditions and more.

Pre-Game Traditions

The spirit of Oklahoma State football can be seen well ahead of game day in Stillwater. On Fridays, residents and businesses alike change their outside lights to orange bulbs as part of the #OrangeGlow initiative. Covering Stillwater in the Cowboys’ orange team color, any visiting fan can take in the sights in Stillwater’s best light.

Before entering Boone-Pickens Stadium, Oklahoma State Cowboys fans will first want to take part in the players’ pregame entrance. Simply called The Walk, the football team, along with the Cowboy Marching Band, OSU Spirit Squads and Pistol Pete, parade down Hester Street from the Atherton Hotel at the Student Union to The Boone. The Walk begins about two hours and 15 minutes ahead of the game.

Gates to Boone Pickens Stadium open an hour and a half before kickoff. Don’t miss the Cowboy Marching Band’s pregame show, followed by Bullet and the OSU Spirit Rider’s entrance, starting about 20 minutes prior to kickoff.

Oklahoma State Tailgating Tips

On game day, OK State fans mainly gather in major on-campus hubs off Hall of Fame Avenue near Boone Pickens Stadium. The International Mall and Old Central Lawn both hold tailgates hosted by registered student organizations and academic departments, while tailgate space is also available by the Spear School of Business, Classroom Building and Sherman Smith Training Center. Generally, tailgate equipment can start being set up at 5:00 p.m. the day prior to a home game, though campus tailgating doesn’t officially open until 8:00 a.m. day-of. For an up-to-date tailgating map and guidelines, visit the Oklahoma State website.

Three hours before kickoff, fans of all ages should check out the Hall of Fame Block Party on the north end of Boone Pickens Stadium. The free event for all home games features live music, food vendors and special guests and activities related for theme games. Young fans can also enjoy the Block Party’s Kid Zone with face-painting, prizes and the chance to meet OK State’s mascot horses, Bullet and BB. At the same time, the Cowboy Corral pregame pep rally takes place at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center until 30 minutes before kickoff.

Premium and VIP options for Oklahoma State tailgating can be booked in the Stadium West, Spears Walk and Classroom Lawn locations via REVELxp.

Guests at an OK State football tailgate can expect another number of southern-style dishes like barbecue, chicken-fried steak, burgers, biscuits, grits and gravy. Fit right in by wearing your best orange and black outfit and impress fellow fans with either the classic Cowboys jersey or the recent “Wild West” redesign. Also, be prepared to see a lot of 1890 Original bottles, the Oklahoma State co-branded beer by Iron Monk Brewing Company, the official craft beer of OSU.

Inside Boone Pickens Stadium

As the oldest football stadium in the Big 12 Conference, The Boone has plenty of history to boast about. Before going inside, brush up on the biggest Oklahoma State football traditions, and review the entry rules and bag policy at the OK State Cowboys football stadium.

Go Pokes

One way for Oklahoma State fans, students and alumni to identify each other is a simple finger-guns hand motion paired with a “Go Pokes” greeting. Originally used during an identity crisis period as the OK State mascot changed from Tigers to Aggies to the current Cowboys, “Pokes” (short for “cowpokes”) turned from a term of endearment to one of the school’s definitive traditions.

OSU Fight Songs

The Cowboy Marching Band cycles through several fight songs during a game, but the most common are referred to as “The Trilogy”: “The Waving Song,” “Ride ‘em Cowboys” and the OSU Chant.

The Paddle People

Known as the “heart of Boone Pickens Stadium,” The Paddle People are a student-run organization recognized by the university who make a constant commotion on game days. With handcrafted orange paddles, the club takes over the front row of the student section and repeatedly smashes their paddles against the stadium’s walls to distract opponents.

Bullet and the OSU Spirit Rider

One of the best college football traditions, the entrance of OSU’s Spirit Rider and Bullet the Horse debuted in 1984. As part of the finale for the Cowboy Marching Band’s pregame show, the black American Quarter Horse is ridden by a current OSU student across the field from the endzone to the 30-yard line and back. Later, the pair repeat the loop after every OSU score.

Pistol Pete

Inspired by real-life cowboy Frank Eaton, Pistol Pete predates Oklahoma State adopting the Cowboys as its mascot. The first illustrated version of Pistol Pete appeared in the 1920s, though the character was not officially embraced by the university until 1958 when the first in-person mascot appeared. Nowadays, two OK State students take turns putting on the baggy chaps and big cowboy head before game time.

The Waving Song

After an Oklahoma State score, the Cowboy Marching Band unleashes “The Waving Song,” which dates all the way back to 1941. Not to be left out, the crowd stands during the performance and gives a one-armed wave in rhythm.

OSU Alma Mater Hymn

Look to The Boone’s student section after an OK State victory as the players gather in front to lead the audience in the OSU Alma Mater Hymn.

Post-Game Activities

At the end of a Cowboys football game day, downtown Stillwater, Oklahoma still awaits. Check out the post-game scene at Eskimo Joe’s, The Garage Burgers & Beer and George’s Stables on West Elm Street or Louie’s Grill & Bar and Finnegan’s Fighting Goat on South Main Street. For food, grab a classic quick bite at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop on South Washington Street or enjoy a sit-down meal at The Rancher’s Club on South Hester Street.

OK State Cowboys Game Day Schedule

Catch every moment of a Cowboys game day by checking out OK State’s regular season football schedule.