Sooner Spirit

The Rise of the Most Fanatical Fandom in College Sports

They call it Sooner Nation because “fanbase” doesn’t even begin to cover it.

On any given Saturday in the fall, eighty thousand football fans pack the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium yelling “Boomer Sooner.” In the spring, they rush into Love’s Field softball complex to cheer on back-to-back national champions. Since the University of Oklahoma was founded in 1890, athletics have been an integral part of the institution and so have the fans.

Brimming with humor and little-known facts, Sooner Spirit highlights those who shaped Sooner culture, from the coaches and athletes who carry the hopes of a state on their shoulders, the students who give old traditions new life every Saturday, the tailgates that turn strangers into family, the RUF/NEKS and Lil’ Sis, the Pride of Oklahoma marching band, to the superfans that become legends. Together, they represent g