Whether you are a sorority or fraternity member, athlete, mathlete, native Oklahoman or transfer student, we all share the same love for the University of Oklahoma. There are many campus traditions, both well-known and obscure. They shed light on the school's colorful history and remind of that timeless Sooner spirit. At the end of the day, whether you are Staff, Student, or Alumni we will always share the memories of one school, with one spirit colored Crimson and Cream!

These are some of our favorite Sooner traditions that bind us all together:

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#3 Retired Traditions

Oklahoma A&M Victory Clapper

The infamous rivalry between University of Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State University Cowboys can be traced back nearly a century.  OSU, formerly Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, had a victory bell in the 1930's that was proudly rung after each intercollegiate triumph -- that is, until several OU students stole the clapper from the bell under cover of darkness.

A. Davy / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-2.0

Aggravated Oklahoma A&M students made several attempts to reclaim their beloved brazen relic, but the clapper was suspiciously absent. When the rival schools began the next year’s college basketball season, several Sooners gloatingly paraded the clapper before the crowd at halftime. Following the prank, the rival schools decided that the clapper would be a trophy presented to the winner of the annual football game. Eventually, the tradition of the Oklahoma A&M clapper trophy died out after a remarkable string of OU victories. Although the clapper’s current whereabouts are unknown, Whitley Cox, an OU sprinter from ’35, was reported to still have the clapper in his possession as of 1940.

Friday Night Pep Rally

Ingo Wilges / CC-BY-SA-2.0

Although Friday Night Pep Rallies before football games are foreign to the modern Sooner’s tailgating repertoire, the practice was once a regular campus occurrence.  Sooner Rallies were marked by swarms of students in team colors, roaring bonfires, and “shirt-tail parades”, in which students would through campus and into downtown Norman, unified in school spirit as an almost inseparable sea of crimson and cream. Perhaps viewed as deadly riot fodder or simply cannibalized by widespread tailgating, the practice of regular pep rallies has since been axed.

Original Sooner Yell

Leo Reynolds / CC-BY-SA-2.0

Today’s OU students are nearly universally familiar with the staple Sooner yell, “Boomer!” echoed by a resounding, “Sooner!” However, few students are familiar with the original chant from which the modern yell has descended. In the early days of Sooner football, crowds eagerly roared:

“Hi rickety whoop-te-do

Boomer, Sooner, Okla. U.”

If one has the urge for a splash of vintage school spirit next football season, be sure to loose a shameless “Whoop-te-do!”

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#2 Myterious & Mischievous Traditions

The Loyal Knights of Old Trusty

The LKOT is a secret organization founded at the University of Oklahoma in 1920. It was founded as part of the College of Engineering and out of respect for the patron saint of engineers, Saint Patrick. This secret organization is in charge of the safekeeping of an old black powder cannon named "Old Trusty". The cannon is kept in a secret location and only fired on the morning of St. Patrick's Day.

Frank Swift / CC-BY-SA-2.0

Prior to Engineering Week, members wear hooded black robes and are recognized only by their respective numbers. These elusive knights are seldom seen but represent a century-old tradition respected by the university. Every year during Engineering Week, new members gain their rite of passage by "firing out" Old Trusty and removing their hoods.

North Oval Brawl

Most University of Oklahoma students have felt at one time or another that they're fighting an uphill battle to slog their way through the semester - but could they relate to a literal school-wide, free-for-all fistfight? In the 1910s, the Junior and Freshmen classes would take on the Seniors and Sophmores in an annual test of physical domination. The spartan contest would end only once one side was tied up and admitted surrender.

William Bizzell's Midnight Drink

Keeping vigilant watch over his namesake's library, the brazen statue of former university President William Bizzell is also the site of OU Historian David Levy's favorite legendary campus prank. It is rumored that several prank-loving students crept through the South Oval and painted a trail of footsteps leading from the statue's base to a nearby fountain. The next morning, the statue would appear to have briefly abandoned its post for a midnight drink. Evidently, even President Bizzell can't make it through the night without a glass of water.

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#1 Sooner Football Traditions

The OU Ruf/Neks and The Sooner Schooner Tradition

John Silks / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0

One of the most well-known university traditions! The Ruf/Neks are the nation's oldest all-male spirit squad and are responsible for trampling over the opponent's turf in the “Conestoga” wagon after every time the Sooner score. The Conestoga is designed as homage to the pioneers' moving vehicle of chioce which was famously used in the era of the 1889 Land Run. This wagon is pulled by two white ponies: Boomer and Sooner. Cute, right?

The Bedlam Game

This traditional rivalry between OU Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys turned a century old in 2005 and is historically dominated with OU victories. No surprises there, right? "Bedlam", a term meaning "a state of uproar and confusion", perfectly describes this heated rivalry always attended by die-hard fans. This past year, one of the creators of this website had a star keyed into her car after this game. Do you have any good stories involving the Bedlam Rivalry? Please send in your story on our Share Page!

OU/Texas Rivalry

Saving the best for last, the highly anticipated annual OU/Texas game, also known as the Red River Rivalry is always held at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The blowout game shares a weekend with the Texas State Fair, often creating a combination weekend celebration for this well publicized event. This annual rivalry dates back to 1900, and has been played once in Houston, Norman, an Austin, before moving to its current spot in Dallas.

Sachi Gahan / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-2.0

The winner of this annual game recieves the honorable ownership of the “Golden Hat” until the next year’s game. This award dates back to 1941, and was originally bronze until the 1970’s. The Red River Rivalry trophy is another award exchanged between the students of the schools since 2003. The Governor’s trophy often accompanied by a small bet is exchanged between the two states’ governors. Lastly, the ROTC trophy is for a scrimmage between each school’s ROTC programs. Unbelievably, a tradition for each ROTC program is that they relay run the game ball starting from each campus all the way to Dallas! Now that is some school spirit!

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Resources:

Sooner Yell

Sports Traditions Every Sooner Should Know

Oklahoma Ruf/Neks Traditions

Bedlam Bell Clapper