Two friends, divided by the Red River Rivalry, are supporting their schools and stirring competition to help pay for their college education.

The Web site, ouortexas.com, allows anyone to log on and vote for either OU or the University of Texas, by donating to a PayPal account.

Sooner fans donate to Ben Lancaster, University College freshman and creator of the site. Jonathan Johnston, biology sophomore at the University of Texas receives money from the UT votes. The two have been friends since they went to high school together near Dallas.

The site is meant to promote the rivalry and prove which school’s fans are more loyal by targeting alumni to contribute to current students.

The idea was sparked by Lancaster after listening to a professor talk about the rise of social networking and the influence of the Internet.

Lancaster began discussing this concept with his father, Ken Lancaster, and within a few days, the idea of ouortexas.com was born.

When creating the site, the Lancasters realized that in the next 20 years, most millionaires would make their money online.

“I thought, ‘What can I do now?’ Bill Gates made his money while he was in college,” Lancaster said.

Ken Lancaster said the site only took a few days to construct, and it launched on Sept. 28. Ken Lancaster owns his own advertising agency and was able to have employees build the site.

“I’m rooting for them,” Ken Lancaster said. “I hope for their sake it takes off.”

The site raised over $300 in the first week and with publicity, it could possibly yield a semester of tuition for both boys, Ken Lancaster said.

The site needs to go viral and people need to forward it on to friends, Ken Lancaster said.

“It could really get out of hand if it gets forwarded to more and more people,” Ken Lancaster said. “This is the week.”

The money goes directly toward tuition and will not be used for general spending, Ben Lancaster said.

“My dad wouldn’t let me con people,” Ben Lancaster said.

A percentage of all funds will be given to a philanthropic organization. The pair will base the philanthropy and percentage off the amount of funds raised.

Johnston said he thinks a majority of the money will come from TexasExes and OU Alumni, who have established jobs and want to root for their team while donating to a good cause.

Johnston said the site draws generations together by allowing alumni to support their school and fund new generations of Sooners and Longhorns.

“We know students aren’t going to be donating a lot because they have costs too,” Johnston said.

While the boys were unaware if the site would yield any profit, they did not see any potential drawbacks.

“It’s an easy, fun thing to do. Why not try it? It’s free money,” Johnston said.