No tailgating a bummer, but understandable to OSU fans
STILLWATER — Dan Brooks has thought of standing outside Boone Pickens Stadium in a sea of orange for nearly three years.
A sergeant in the Army, he's been away from what he happily calls “Cowboy Country” while stationed in Fort Stewart, Georgia. But this season was supposed to be different.
A Perry native, Brooks is set to move to Fort Riley, Kansas, later this fall. He and his wife had plans to frequent Stillwater on Saturdays in the fall for Oklahoma State football games.
That meant — under normal circumstances — he could tailgate outside Boone Pickens Stadium.
“Oklahoma State tailgating is some of the best tailgating in America,” Brooks wrote in an email.
But there won't be tailgating this fall on campus.
Nearly 15,000 fans overtaking the campus around the stadium before, during and after games is just not possible during the COVID19 pandemic.
“The fact that we won't be able to do so is heartbreaking in the context of college sports,” Brooks continued in his email. “The fact remains, however, that tailgating simply is not safe in the current environment. And if we insist on driving forward with tailgating just to feel normal for a moment, we may never get tailgating back.
“We must be willing to do the right thing and tailgate from our homes (safely), if we want a return to normalcy somewhere down the road.”
OSU acknowledged Wednesday it plans to allow fans into the stadium. A survey was sent to season-ticket holders Thursday, asking them to opt in or out. Based on that total number, OSU plans to set its attendance limit.
The Cowboys also announced fan safety initiatives, including mobile ticketing and a mask mandate.
None matched the impact of the decision to not allow tailgating.
“It all points back to safety,” OSU associate athletic director and director of communications Gavin Lang said. “That's the biggest thing.
“Obviously, Oklahoma State University functions seven days a week and we have to have a responsibility to the entire campus community here. Bringing in numbers — 15,000 tailgaters as normal — is probably not consistent with good social-distancing practices. It's just not where we are right now.”
OSU is regarded as one of the top tailgating experiences in the Big 12. For the past decade or so, the school has worked to build a lively atmosphere. Fans camp out days before the game to claim their spots. They'll meet up with family and friends, often to enjoy the game outside the stadium.
“It's the kind of stuff that makes football games special,” Lang said.
OSU fans largely understood the changes in both responses to OSU and The Oklahoman.
Some applauded the decision. Some said they would tailgate elsewhere, including their own homes.
“I'm hopeful that the kids get to play and I'd love to watch them in person, but at the end of the day, most important is that they get to play,” OSU fan Jody Brown wrote in an email. “I'll gladly host tailgates/watch parties at my house.”
Some fans worried nearby bars would instead be overcrowded.
OSU has no control over that. It's controlling what it can, which is the campus.
“It's bigger than just athletics," Lang said. "It's bigger than just football. This is about the whole campus community and creating a safe environment, at least as safe of an environment as we can with the ability we have to affect change using it.”
That's why Brooks and others are OK without tailgating.
Brooks said he often wanders to other tailgates to see friends or watch other games on TV. His parents and in-laws usually join the tailgate.
He and his wife then go to the game.
It's a wonderful day for an OSU fan.
That won't happen this year, though. And Brooks believes that can only help in the future.
“I'll miss tailgating,” Brooks wrote. “I won't miss it as much as someone will miss their loved one when they're claimed by COVID-19. The suspension of tailgating is not fun, but it is necessary.
“And Cowboys do the right thing.”