Boone Pickens Stadium Boone Pickens Stadium ( previously known as Lewis Field ) has been home to the Oklahoma State University Cowboys football team in rudimentary form since 1913 , and as a complete stadium since 1920 . The facility is the oldest football stadium in the Big 12 Conference but was left largely neglected and enjoyed only modest renovations throughout its near - century of existence . With the resurgence of Cowboy football sparked by the 2001 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the annual Bedlam Series game and the subsequent 2002 Houston Bowl season , interest grew for a major overhaul of Lewis Field . An ambitious fund - raising project for the renovation dubbed " The Next Level " became the flagship effort of the Oklahoma State athletic department . Officially the capacity is 60 , 218 but that includes some of the unfinished unsold suites in the west end zone . The " Lewis Field " era . Oklahoma State , then known as Oklahoma A & M , first began playing at the current site of Pickens Stadium in 1913 . Originally known simply as " Athletic Field , " it was renamed Lewis Field in 1914 after Laymon Lowery Lewis , a former dean of veterinary medicine and of science and literature and one of the most popular figures in the school ’ s history . In addition to his duties as dean and instructor at OAMC , Lewis served as the school ' s acting president in 1914 . Under his brief administration , OAMC established the first school of commerce and marketing in the nation and developed experimental stations around the state . In addition to naming the field after him , the students also dedicated the 1914 yearbook , its first , to Lewis . The school built a permanent 8 , 000 - seat grandstand — roughly corresponding to the lower level of the current facility ' s north grandstand — in 1920 . The stadium originally was positioned in the traditional north - south direction , but was reoriented east - west to avoid the strong prevailing winds . It remains 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 . The university planned to build a horseshoe - shaped stadium , similar to Ohio State University ' s Ohio Stadium , in the 1920s to be called War Memorial Stadium . These plans were scrapped before any construction of the proposed stadium started , and the first addition to Lewis Field 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 . Prior to the 1950 season , 10 , 600 seats were added to the north stands , increasing capacity to 39 , 000 ( including temporary endzone bleachers ) . After the 1971 season the cinder track was removed , lowering the field 12 feet and making the space between the field and the stadium retaining walls among the smallest in college athletics . Twenty rows of permanent seats were also added to both sides of the stadium . This expansion , including complete conversion to an artificial turf playing surface , cost $ 2 . 5 million and was financed through private donations . Press box construction 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 . The all - time attendance record for Lewis Field is 51 , 458 for the Bedlam Series game in 1979 . In a side note to history , the field hosted the Oklahoma Outlaws and the Houston Gamblers of the USFL professional football league in 1984 . Due to a conflict at Tulsa ' s Skelly Stadium , the Outlaws were forced to play their last Exhibition game in Stillwater , losing to the visiting Gamblers by a score of 34 - 7 . Only 6 , 120 attended the cold February 19 game . Boone Pickens and " The Next Level " . Lewis Field was officially renamed Boone Pickens Stadium during a halftime ceremony at the 2003 football game versus the University of Wyoming . However , the playing surface is still known as Lewis Field . The stadium ’ s name was changed to honor OSU alumnus T . Boone Pickens , a Texas oilman and entrepreneur who founded Mesa Petroleum Company in 1956 and served as its CEO from 1956 to 1996 . Pickens donated $ 165 million overall to the university , the largest single donation for athletics to an institution of higher education in American history , to create an “ athletic village ” on campus , but the construction of the village was postponed due to the economy ' s downturn . Pickens ' gift helped 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 $ 260 million upgrade to Boone Pickens Stadium which included a brick exterior by Wilks Masonry Corporation , to match the modified Georgian architecture of the OSU campus , and a connection to the Gallagher - Iba Arena . The stadium turf was replaced in 2005 . Boone Pickens Stadium was the second NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision program to install the Desso Sport System ' s Football Pro Artificial Grass Surface . The first installation was at University of Wyoming ' s War Memorial Stadium , also in 2005 . The funds used for the expansion of the stadium have been a topic of controversy and discussion among students and the public , including the city of Stillwater . 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 express their concerns . At one meeting in the Stillwater Public Library , Commissioner Hank Moore told then - OSU President David Schmidly , the meeting ' s moderator , that OSU ' s actions in implementing the athletic village under the Campus Master Plan contradicted the principles of democracy . Another hotly contested issue between the Stillwater city commissioners and OSU administrators was the closing of Hall of Fame Avenue , the street running parallel with the north side of the stadium . At the same meeting , Moore said OSU broke a trust agreement with the city on the closing of the street . In January 2007 , an agreement was reached regarding Hall of Fame Avenue granting the city ownership , which could revert back to OSU if the city opens a roadway specifically to replace it . During Spring Commencement exercises at the stadium on May 6 , 2006 , President George W . Bush gave the commencement address , becoming the third U . S . president to speak at an OSU commencement ( following George H . W . Bush and Richard Nixon ) . Official Rededication . The stadium was officially re - dedicated as Boone Pickens Stadium on Sept . 5 , 2009 , when the # 9 Cowboys opened the fall football season against # 13 Georgia Bulldogs . Prior to the game , there was a grand - opening ceremony outside the stadium . On hand for the ribbon - cutting were coach Mike Gundy , university president Burns Hargis , athletic director Mike Holder and Boone Pickens . Attendance for the game was 53 , 012 , which was a new Oklahoma State Football attendance record surpassing the 52 , 463 from the 2008 meeting with Troy University . Attendance records . With their success on the football field under Mike Gundy , the Cowboys have set numerous attendance records at Boone Pickens Stadium . The following are the top crowds in the history of Boone Pickens Stadium :