There was more green than crimson and cream on Lindsey Street.
As OU rolled out its return of tailgating to the road that runs through the heart of campus for its season opener against Arkansas State, the expectations were large crowds, pitched tents and the type of passion on display weekly in the SEC. Instead, the area remembered as a tailgating hotbed in Norman pre-2017 was vacant aside from one family tent.
As Jason Jones and Chris Williams, fans who remember the heyday of Lindsey Street’s tailgating, arrived early to check out its return, they were shocked to see the area void of people and a swath of empty space.
Tailgating zone on Lindsey Street two hours and 21 minutes after it opened on Sept. 2 in Norman.
“The first thing I told (Chris) when we first walked up was, ‘Are you serious,’” Jones told the OU Daily, motioning his arms in confusion. “(Back in the day) it was packed, there were tents everywhere. This was the place to be, but it’s the first year they’ve brought it back. I really think (people weren’t aware).”
It’s safe to say the first day of tailgating’s return to Lindsey Street was a failure and it’s going to take some time to become what it previously was.
The No. 20 Sooners (1-0) — who finished 6-7 last season and dominated the Red Wolves (0-1) 73-0 on Saturday — are evolving all facets of their program ahead of facing college football’s toughest conference next season, on the field as well as inside and outside the stadium.
“I'm going to be very honest, it was tough to sell (tickets to) this game,” Executive Associate Athletic Director for External Engagement Leah Beasley told the OU Daily. “Coming off a year that was unlike Oklahoma and then the heat and you’re playing at 11 a.m., there's just a lot of factors to overcome.”
In the middle of the third quarter, Beasley and her staff were calculating and sharing numbers trying to make sure everyone was on the same page that OU indeed extended its sellout streak of 147 games.
After thousands of tickets weren’t even for sale a month ahead of the Sooners’ season opener and several group ticket packages and cheap deals were offered two weeks before, the number of tickets being sold for week one was in question. Despite concerns, Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium was almost entirely filled by kickoff.
“But my gosh, our staff and the people who are on the front lines, they did it,” Beasley said of her team selling 83,221 tickets, which isn’t the same as filling the stadium’s capacity. “So I'm very thankful. … (Athletic Director Joe Castiglione) is very adamant about integrity with what we're reporting. So sometimes it might not look like it in the stands, but what we're doing and the numbers that we have out there (are accurate).”
OU RUF/NEKS and Lil' Sis ready for gameday during the during Walk of Champions on Sept. 2.
‘Game day is all about pivoting’
In preparation for OU’s SEC entrance next season, the Sooners are testing out a variety of new options for their game day experience in 2023.
The program altered its Walk of Champions route, which now drops players and coaches at the Lindsey Street and Asp Avenue intersection, southwest of the stadium.
Led by the Pride of Oklahoma and the Sooner Schooner, OU’s coaches and players walked east on Lindsey before turning north on Jenkins Avenue and into the stadium’s entrance.
“Walk of Champions, (Sooners coach Brent Venables) loved it,” Beasley said. “He had very good feedback on that. We do need some people to fill in on Lindsey, like we made it happen, so now we need actual tailgaters to be there because the way that we had it set up was there would be tailgaters and (the players) approaching and so we had a quick pivot, but game day is all about pivoting.
“And luckily, we have a lot of talented people and a lot of people who can adapt quickly and so we did that on the fly and it looked really good. If coach is happy and the players are happy, then we are happy and the band (is) loud.”
When deciding to change Walk of Champions, Beasley was inspired by The Grove in Mississippi and what SEC programs like Alabama do for pregame. Lawrence McKinney, President and CEO of Team Norman, traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, recently and says Campus Corner and OU’s tailgating doesn’t compare.
McKinney remembers the Crimson Tide’s homecoming specifically stood out.
“It was amazing,” McKinney told the OU Daily. “I mean, it lasted at least an hour longer. There were so many more activities and floats, (the difference was also) in the community pride and spirit.”
Even though fans were lacking, Danny Stutsman loved the new Walk of Champions route. The junior linebacker donned sunglasses signed by OU legend Brian Bosworth on his way into the stadium.
“It’s great (and) much more interactive for the fans,” Stutsman said postgame. “I think it's really cool, it's longer but I don't mind it. You're going through it and interacting with everyone and seeing everybody. Great atmosphere. I love it.”
Beasley and her staff are also testing out new music during games. OU brought back “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne before the fourth quarter but also played Zach Bryan’s “Oklahoma Smokeshow,” which received rousing appreciation from fans left in seats.
Plans are also in place to test out “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker. Beasley said the program also added speakers to the sidelines for the players to enjoy during the game.
“We are wanting to try new things, so this is a good game to do that,” Beasley, who came to Oklahoma from Mississippi State in 2022, said. “When again, we’re winning, we're excited about the way this is going. I'm proud of our students. … We're gonna still give the best game day atmosphere that we possibly can.
“Everybody is thinking, what's the next step? What's the next level? Obviously, I came in from the SEC so I know what those vibes are.”
What is Beasley and her team going to do in an effort to spread the word of tailgating on Lindsey Street and attract more fans to the area next week?
First, she thinks it will get better when the Sooners kick off at later times. Secondly, OU is planning on adding music speakers on the street so people will hear music and the band’s playing will ring louder throughout campus.
“We caught a lot of footage today and so we want (fans) to have the FOMO (fear of missing out). Because you weren’t here, you missed this. (Venables) and Dillon Gabriel, all these guys are literally touching our fans and taking pictures with them. You missed that because you weren't here. You show up (to get) that atmosphere.
“That's what we're hoping to do too, is bring the fans in closer. That's something that has been huge for me and that you'll see in the SEC. The fans are close, we don't want them on top of the players, but they're right there. So we're trying to figure out some ways (to do better).”
One of McKinney and Team Norman’s goals, and something they saw on their visits to SEC towns, is to make the city a destination where fans want to spend all weekend, not just three to four hours during a game. OU has a long way to go as campus was as desolate hours following the horn since it was pregame on Lindsey.
Other than the disappointment of Lindsey Street, Beasley said she’s overall pleased with how the Sooners’ first game day unfolded.
“It's really been a fun day,” Beasley said. “We're gonna get some feedback from our coaches and our players to help improve it even more for them and then listen and put out some fan surveys for all fans to tell us what they think is good feedback.
“We have some things we're already talking about to make it better for next week.”
