Entertainment

85,000 University Of Oklahoma Fans Honor Toby Keith With Stadium Singalong During Season Opener

The University of Oklahoma honored late Oklahoman and longtime fan Toby Keith with a singalong during Friday night’s football season-opening game.

The University of Oklahoma announced in August that they would be starting a new tradition of honoring Toby Keith between the third and fourth quarters of every home game. The tradition kicked off Friday night and did so in epic fashion.

Toby’s family took the field at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium during the Oklahoma Sooners versus Temple Owls game to invite the crowd to join them in singing Keith’s hit song, “Courtesy Of The Red, White, And Blue.”

Fan video captured the moment more than 85,000 fans, many with “RIP Toby Keith” signs, sang along enthusiastically with the country hit.

The singalong marks the latest in a series of tributes the university has paid to Toby. Two months after his death in February 2024, the school painted a “TOBY” logo on the 25-yard line of Owen Field. The logo depicts Keith raising his fist as if cheering on the team he loved.

Toby Keith’s affinity for OU athletics, especially football, dated back to his childhood.

In an interview shortly after Toby Keith’s death, his daughter Krystal shared that her dad sold soft drinks as a kid to raise money to attend OU games, a fact confirmed by OU athletic director, Joe Castiglione.

“Remembering our dear friend Toby Keith in a place where he cheered on many Sooners team,” Castiglione on X when the “TOBY” logo was revealed earlier this year. “He sold Coca-Cola in the stands as a teenager and was on the sideline all the way through last season. We miss Big T!”

Although Toby didn’t attend the University of Oklahoma, he encouraged his children to go, and they did. All three, Shelley, Krystal, and Stelen, are proud OU graduates.

The school gave Toby Keith an honorary degree during their 2024 commencement exercises. His daughter, Krystal, accepted it on his behalf. During her speech she shared that her dad had learned about the honorary degree several months before his death and was “excited” and “proud.”

“When he learned, last fall, that he was being inducted to Sooner Nation on this high of a level, he was so excited and he was so proud. I actually made a joke about how many hours I spent here getting my bachelor’s degree, and he joked that he didn’t have to work that hard to get his,” Krystal told the crowd. “But we all know he earned it and spent many more hours dedicating his life to earning it this way. He loved his family (he loved all of us), God, our country, and Sooner Nation!“

Hear Toby Keith’s kids talk about his life and legacy in the interview below.

Related Posts

Everyone Is Loving Taylor Swift’s Kansas City Chiefs-Themed Outfit As She Was Spotted Arriving In Style For Game vs. Bengals At Arrowhead Stadium

Taylor Swift (Photo via @tayvisnation/Twitter)Taylor Swift is back at Arrowhead Stadium for some Week Two action. On Sunday, before the team got ready to face the Cincinnati Bengals, Swift…

Cazzu y Nodal se Reencuentran para Festejar a Inti: ¿Por Qué Ángela Aguilar No Estuvo Presente?

¡Christian Nodal y Cazzu volvieron! La expareja se reencontró para celebrar el cumpleaños de su hija, pero la argentina no invitó a Ángela. A casi 4 meses de…

Saiee Manjrekar Opens Up About Age Gap Controversy in Her First Film with Salman Khan

Actors Mahesh Manjrekar and Medha Manjrekar’s daughter, Saiee Manjrekar, followed in her parents’ footsteps and chose acting as her career. Her first Hindi film, Dabangg 3, was opposite…

Lisa’s Unbelievable Transformation: From Chubby-Cheeked Debut to Sultry VMA Star!

On September 12, Lisa ( BLACKPINK ) attended the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). This was the primary time BLACKPINK’s youngest member attended a world occasion as a solo artist. She…

Taylor Swift Snubs Trump Ally Brittany Mahomes at Chiefs Game for A-List Crew

Taylor Swift returned to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday to watch the Chiefs – and she sat away from Brittany Mahomes for the second straight week. Swift and Mahomes…

Taylor Swift Arrives in a Chiefs Shirt Dress and Thigh-High Boots for Travis Kelce’s Game Against the Bengals

After one week apart, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are back in the same zip code. The pop star arrived at Arrowhead Stadium to support Kelce as he and…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *