Oklahoma State to Host Concert in Stadium to Benefit NIL

Boone Pickens Stadium hosts its first concert in 2025, featuring Cross Canadian Ragweed and Turnpike Troubadours to boost Oklahoma State’s NIL initiatives.

Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II (0) walks off the field following the college football between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Utah Utes at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Sept., 21, 2024. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In today's college football landscape, everyone is looking for an edge, leading to many creative ideas of how schools could bolster their NIL budget. While Oklahoma State was foiled by the NCAA earlier this year in its efforts to place QR codes on player helmets, the Cowboys may have another trick up their sleeve.

Scheduled for April 12, 2025, Boone Pickens Stadium will welcome the legendary red dirt band Cross Canadian Ragweed, alongside co-headliners Turnpike Troubadours, for a daylong musical celebration. This event marks a historic moment as it will be the first concert held at Boone Pickens Stadium since its renovations, accommodating up to 43,000 attendees for this special occasion.

The concert's primary aim is to bolster OSU's NIL initiatives, which have become increasingly crucial in providing support for student-athletes navigating the changing landscape of college sports. Chad Weiberg, OSU's Athletic Director, expressed his excitement for the event, stating, “We are excited to bring the first-ever concert to Boone Pickens Stadium this spring and look forward to hosting this fantastic Oklahoma-based lineup in the home of the Cowboys, We are grateful to the team at DMG for helping make this happen. This show will benefit OSU’s NIL efforts but will also be a great event for our student-athletes, student body, alumni, fans and the community of Stillwater.”

Pre-sale tickets for this eagerly awaited concert will go on sale at 10 a.m. CT on October 7, 2024, and general public sales will start on October 11, 2024.

The cultural significance of this concert is immense. Cross Canadian Ragweed, which originated in Stillwater in 1994, played a pivotal role in shaping the red dirt music genre. Their reunion concert represents a cultural milestone for the community that was instrumental in their early success. Randy Ragsdale, co-founder of Cross Canadian Ragweed, reflected this sentiment, sharing with Rolling Stone, “Stillwater represents a beginning — for me, personally, and the band, it’s like that for most people that go there. That’s where they start their life. It’s one of the first places we got going, and I think it’s also bigger than just our band. The whole damn movement got going there. I don’t want to sound cheesy, but it’s kind of like the motherland. I cannot think of a better place to get it going again, to bury the hatchet, to try to do this the right way, and just start over.”

While aiding OSU’s NIL, this concert represents a full-circle moment for the Red Dirt music scene and the Stillwater community. It promises to deliver an unforgettable experience celebrating the music and fostering community engagement and support for OSU's athletic programs. As the date draws nearer, excitement builds for what will surely be a landmark event in the heart of Oklahoma.