Boone Pickens Stadium
"Lewis Field"
Location	Hall of Fame Ave at Hester St Stillwater, OK 74078
Broke ground	1914
Opened	1914
Owner	Oklahoma State University
Operator	Oklahoma State University
Surface	FieldTurf
Architect	Gary Sparks (Renovation)
Former names
Lewis Field (1914-2002)
Tenants
Oklahoma State Cowboy Football (NCAA) (1914-Present) Orange Peel Concert (1996-Present)
Capacity
44,700 (Estimated 60,000 following current renovations)

Boone Pickens Stadium, formerly known as Lewis Field, is home to the Oklahoma State University college football program. Boone Pickens Stadium, the home of Oklahoma State Football, is a far cry from what the student body expected when they were renaming the field before the 1914 football season. Lewis Field, much like the Cowboy football program, was left largely neglected and enjoyed only modest renovations throughout its near-century of existence. However, this all changed in recent history. With the resurgence of Cowboy football sparked by the 2001 16-13 victory over Oklahoma in the annual Bedlam game and the subsequent 2002 Houston Bowl season, interest soon returned to a major overhaul of Lewis Field. An ambitious fund-raising project for the Lewis Field renovation dubbed "The Next Level" became the flagship efforts of the Oklahoma State athletic department. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1242x836, 173 KB)South side of Boone Pickens Stadium on campus at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK. Stadium was named after T. Boone Pickens. ... Oklahoma State University Logo The Oklahoma State University System comprises of five educational instututes across Oklahoma. ... Oklahoma State University Logo The Oklahoma State University System comprises of five educational instututes across Oklahoma. ... The wide plain of FieldTurf used at Torontos Rogers Centre was installed after the 2004 baseball season. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Oklahoma State Cowboys (Cowgirls for womens teams) are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often pronounced N-C-Double-A ) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... In 1995, a group of students, faculty and alumni from Oklahoma State University traveled to the University of Florida to witness its annual pep rally known as the Gator Growl, which would become the inspiration for Oklahoma States Orange Peel event. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Oklahoma State University, located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is an institution of higher learning founded in 1890 as a land-grant university, known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (Oklahoma A&M). ... A college football game between Colorado State University and the Air Force Academy. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The University of Oklahoma features 16 varsity sports teams. ... Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma State Cowboys The Bedlam Series refers to the athletics rivalry between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, of the Big 12 Conferences South Division. ... The Houston Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually in Houston, Texas, since 2000. ...

Christening of "Lewis Field"

In 1914, the student body named the “Athletic Field” after Lowery Laymon Lewis. A former dean of veterinary medicine and of science and literature from Oklahoma A&M, Dr. Lewis was one of the most popular figures in the school’s history. Oklahoma State University, located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is an institution of higher learning founded in 1890 as a land-grant university, known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (Oklahoma A&M). ...

In addition to his duties as dean and instructor at OAMC, Lewis served as the school's acting president in 1914. Instrumental in the development of experimental stations around the state under his brief administration, OAMC established the first school of commerce and marketing in the nation.

"Doctor Lew" was highly respected by the school's student body, which named the football field "Lewis Field" in his honor prior to 1914. The university's first yearbook from 1914 is dedicated to Dr. Lewis. While the playing field bore his name (thus two references as Lewis Field and Lewis Stadium), OAMC installed grandstand seats in 1920, pushing capacity to 8,000. The stadium originally was positioned in the traditional north-south direction, but switched to east-west to avoid the strong prevailing winds. Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ...

Past Expansion Projects

The first addition to the stadium came in 1924 with the first steel and concrete portion of the current stadium built on the south side. During the 1929-1930 seasons, 8,000 permanent seats were built on the north side for an overall capacity of 13,000. In 1947 the south stands were increased from 20 to 53 rows and capacity climbed to nearly 30,000. For the first time, a permanent press box was then added. 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ...

Prior to the 1950 season, 10,600 more seats were added to the north stands, increasing capacity to 39,000 (including temporary endzone bleachers). The next expansion started after the 1971 season and included the removal of the cinder track, lowering the field 12 feet and adding 20 rows of permanent seats to both sides. This expansion, including a completely artificial turf field, cost $2.5 million and was financed through private donations. 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ...

Construction of a press box was completed in 1980 at a cost of $1.8 million. The press box has seating for more than 200 members of the print media, with separate levels for radio/television broadcasters, photographers and VIP seating on the first level capable of handling 300. A lighting system for night games was installed in time for the 1985 season and cost approximately $750,000. 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Boone Pickens and the "Next Level"

During the 2003 football season, the stadium’s name was changed to honor OSU alumnus Boone Pickens. Pickens, a Texas oilman and entrepreneur, founded Mesa Petroleum Co. in 1956 and served as its CEO from 1956 to 1996. It was one of the largest independent oil and gas companies, in addition to being known for its corporate control contests for Cities Service, Gulf, Phillips and Unocal. (See also T. Boone Pickens, Jr.) 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... T. Boone Pickens, Jr. ... Official language(s) English (de facto) See also languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (261,797 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. ... ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is an international energy company with its headquarters located in Houston, Texas. ... The Unocal Corporation (NYSE: UCL), based in Los Angeles, California, was founded in 1890 as the Union Oil Company of California. ... T. Boone Pickens, Jr. ...

Construction work at Boone Pickens Stadium in February 2006

Pickens donated $165 million overall to the college, in order to create an “athletic village” on campus. Pickens' gift will help build the west end zone at Boone Pickens Stadium, a multi-purpose indoor practice complex, new soccer, track and tennis facilities, a new equestrian center, a new baseball stadium and new outdoor practice fields. During the 2003 football season, OSU broke ground on a proposed $86 million upgrade to Boone Pickens Stadium which will include a brick exterior to match the modified Georgian architecture of the OSU campus. It will be connected to the Athletics Center. The turf of the stadium was changed in 2005. Phase 2 started in February 2005 and is expected to be completed in Fall 2006. However, the funds used for the expansion of the stadium have been a topic of controversy and discussion among students and the Student Government. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1462 KB) Summary Construction work, as part of expansion of Boone Pickens Stadium Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1462 KB) Summary Construction work, as part of expansion of Boone Pickens Stadium Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Georgian house in Salisbury Georgian architecture at Royal Crescent, Bath. ... South side view of Gallagher-Iba Arena. ...

The athletic village came under intense scrutiny within the community and garnered statewide attention. In 2005 and 2006, OSU held "town hall meetings" to allow members of the community to vent their frustrations. At the Feb. 21 meeting in the Stillwater Public Library, Commissioner Hank Moore told Schmidly - the meeting's moderator - that OSU's actions in implementing the athletic village under the Campus Master Plan contradicted the principles of democracy. One hotly contested issue between the city commissioners and OSU administrators is the closing of Hall of Fame Avenue, the street running parallel with the North side of the stadium. At the Feb. 21 meeting, Moore said OSU broke a trust agreement with the city on the closing of the street. In January of 2007, an agreement was reached regarding Hall of Fame Avenue granting the city ownership which could revert back to OSU if the city were to open a roadway specifically to replace it.

Miscellaneous Information

Inside Boone Pickens Stadium

• Boone Pickens is one of a handful of major stadiums in the United States with goals at the east and west ends. Because of this, the Sun becomes an advantage to the team defending the west end zone during sunny afternoon games, because the team defending the east goal has to look directly into the bright sunlight.
• Oklahoma A&M planned on building a horseshoe-shaped stadium, similar to Ohio State's Ohio Stadium, in the 1920s called "War Memorial Stadium." However, these plans were scrapped before any construction of the proposed stadium started.
• The all-time attendance record for Lewis Field is 51,458 for the Bedlam game in 1979.
• Pickens' gift is the largest single donation for athletics to an institution of higher education in U.S. history.
• Lewis Field was officially renamed Boone Pickens Stadium during a halftime ceremony at the 2003 football game versus the University of Wyoming. Since the renaming, the Cowboys have had a record of 13-6 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
• The space between the field and the seating retaining walls is among the smallest in all of college athletics.
• One of the two bomb squad units for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is stationed at all football games at the stadium after a student at the University of Oklahoma exploded a home-made bomb less than 100 feet from the Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium at OU during a game.^[1]
• Boone Pickens Stadium, previously known as Lewis Field, is the oldest stadium in the Big 12 Conference, built in 1920.

crowd prior to George W. Bush's speech

On May 6, 2006, President George W. Bush gave OSU’s commencement speech at the stadium. He was the third president to speak at an OSU commencement, following George H. W. Bush and Richard Nixon. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 338 KB) Summary Inside Boone Pickens Stadium Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 338 KB) Summary Inside Boone Pickens Stadium Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... The Ohio State University (OSU) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Ohio. ... Ohio Stadium (also known as The Horseshoe, or simply The ’Shoe) is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. ... The 1920s is a decade sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma State Cowboys The Bedlam Series refers to the athletics rivalry between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, of the Big 12 Conferences South Division. ... For the song by The Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyomings high plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet (2194 m), between the Laramie and Medicine Bow mountain ranges. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 489 KB) Summary A section of the crowd at Boone Pickens Stadium, Oklahoma State University sometime before George W Bushs speech at the 2006 graduation ceremony Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 489 KB) Summary A section of the crowd at Boone Pickens Stadium, Oklahoma State University sometime before George W Bushs speech at the 2006 graduation ceremony Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... George Herbert Walker Bush GCB (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States of America serving from 1989 to 1993. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ...

References

External links

• Boone Pickens Stadium Construction web site
• Official OSU Athletics web site

Coordinates: 36°07′32.6″N, 97°03′59.5″W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of twelve schools located in the central United States. ... Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium is a stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. ... Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States. ... Oklahoma State University–Stillwater, located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is an institution of higher learning founded in 1890 as a land-grant university under the Morrill Act. ... Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, is home to the University of Texas Longhorn football team. ... The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is a nationally recognized doctoral/research university located in Austin, Texas. ... Faurot Field, also known as Memorial Stadium, is a stadium in Columbia, Missouri. ... The University of Missouri–Columbia is a public land-grant university of the state of Missouri as well as Missouris largest university and public research institution. ... Floyd Casey Stadium is a stadium in Waco, Texas. ... Baylor University is a private, Baptist-affiliated research university located in Waco, Texas. ... Folsom Field is a stadium in Boulder, Colorado. ... The University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder, UCB officially[2]; Colorado, CU colloquially) is the flagship university of the University of Colorado system. ... The Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is the on-campus football facility for the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. ... University of Oklahoma, abbreviated OU, is a coeducational public research university located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma founded in 1890. ... Jack Trice Stadium is a stadium in Ames, Iowa. ... Fountain of Four Seasons by Christian Petersen with the Campanile in the background Iowa State University (ISU) is a public land-grant and space-grant university located in Ames, Iowa. ... Jones AT&T Stadium is a stadium in Lubbock, Texas. ... Texas Tech University is a nationally recognized doctoral/research university located in Lubbock, Texas (USA). ... Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. ... Texas A&M University, often called A&M or TAMU for short, is a public, coeducational, research university located in College Station, Texas, USA. It is the flagship[3] institution of the Texas A&M University System. ... Memorial Stadium is a football stadium located in Lawrence, Kansas, on the campus of the University of Kansas. ... The University of Kansas (often referred to as KU) is an institution of higher learning located in Lawrence, Kansas. ... Memorial Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, just north of downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. ... The University of Nebraska–Lincoln, often called UNL, but also known as Nebraska or NU, is the flagship institution of the University of Nebraska system. ...

The Oklahoma State University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (or CASNR ) serves as the agricultural component of OSU-Stillwater in Stillwater, Oklahoma and operates within the universitys Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (DASNR). ... The Oklahoma State University College of Arts & Sciences serves as the liberal arts and science components of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. ... The Oklahoma State University College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (or CEAT) serves as the engineering, architecture, and technology components of OSU-Stillwater in Stillwater, Oklahoma and OSU-Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. ... The Edmon Low Library The Edmon Low Library (ELL) is the main library of the Oklahoma State University System. ... The William S. Spears School of Business (or SSB ) serves as the business component of OSU-Stillwater in Stillwater, Oklahoma. ... It has been suggested that Oklahoma State University - Stillwater#Athletics be merged into this article or section. ... The Oklahoma State Cowboys are the most storied Division I college wrestling program in NCAA history. ... Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma State Cowboys The Bedlam Series refers to the athletics rivalry between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, of the Big 12 Conferences South Division. ... South side view of Gallagher-Iba Arena. ... Allie P. Reynolds Stadium is a baseball stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. ... Karsten Creek is a golf course outside of Stillwater, Oklahoma and serves as the home course of the Oklahoma State University golf team. ... The Sherman E. Smith Training Center is a planned on-campus athletic training facility to be built on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. ... Statue of the Spirit Rider and Bullet Bullet is the name of the mascot of the sports teams at Oklahoma State University-Stillwater, a black American quarter horse gelding. ... Taken from OSUs official athletic web site, http://www. ... Main entrance to the museum. ... Categories: Stub | Universities and colleges in Oklahoma ... Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City was originally a branch of Oklahoma State University - Stillwater in 1961. ... Oklahoma State University Logo The Oklahoma State University System is comprised of five educational institutes across Oklahoma. ... Oklahoma State University Medical Center is a health institution located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. ... Oklahoma State University, located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is an institution of higher learning founded in 1890 as a land-grant university, known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (Oklahoma A&M). ... Categories: Stub | Universities and colleges in Oklahoma ... Oklahoma States Old Central Old Central is the oldest building on the Oklahoma State University campus in Stillwater, Oklahoma. ... There are more than 190,000 living Oklahoma State University alumni worldwide. ... Since the 1924 Olympics, 55 Oklahoma State University Olympians have won a total of 24 medals, 21 gold, two silver, and one bronze. ... This is a list of notable Greek Alumni from Oklahoma State University // Phil Berkenbile, Director, Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education Walter Clore, Pioneer in Washington State wine growing. ... The Colvin Center is a student recreation center at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. ... The Daily OCollegian (also known colloquially as The OColly) is the student-run newspaper at Oklahoma State University. ... Formed by two Oklahoma State University graduates, Eskimo Joes is a restaurant and bar located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. ... Pistol Pete at Homecoming 2005 Homecoming is one of the many proud traditions at Oklahoma State University, and perhaps one of the most widely known. ... In 1995, a group of students, faculty and alumni from Oklahoma State University traveled to the University of Florida to witness its annual pep rally known as the Gator Growl, which would become the inspiration for Oklahoma States Orange Peel event. ... The Oklahoma State University Student Union Billed as the largest student union in the world, the Oklahoma State University Student Union is a student activity center for meetings, conferences, meals, recreation, and shopping for students and alumni on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. ...