Boone Pickens Purchases Basketball Tickets For Cowboy Fans

Boone Pickens is already in the giving mood this holiday season. The OSU supporter has announced he's purchased the remaining 4,000 tickets to OSU's game against nationally-ranked Gonzaga on New Year's Eve.

The game is perhaps the biggest non-conference game in Stillwater since defending national champion Louisville visited Gallagher Hall on Dec. 6, 1980. Tip-off time will be at 5 p.m.

While the tickets last, they can be picked up at the OSU ticket office in Gallagher-Iba Arena on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be a limit of six tickets per individual.

"I thought long and hard about what gift I could give my fellow OSU Cowboys this year," Pickens said. "I couldn't find enough basketballs, but I did find enough basketball tickets. Let's put them to good use, pack Gallagher-Iba for the Gonzaga game, and put a great exclamation point on a promising OSU basketball season under Coach Ford."

The OSU ticket office operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The tickets will be available beginning Wednesday morning.

"It will be a busy 24 hours with a great basketball game on New Year's Eve and a bowl game the next morning," said OSU athletic director Mike Holder. "Because of the schedule, we know there will be fans in possession of basketball tickets who cannot attend the game. We encourage them to pass along their tickets to other Cowboy fans. Our goal is a full Gallagher-Iba Arena when Gonzaga comes to town."

For those who would like help in making sure their tickets are utilized by OSU fans on New Year's Eve, the Oklahoma State athletic department is standing by. Send an email to tickets@okstate.edu for assistance. The ticket office can also be reached at 1-877-ALL-4-OSU (1-877-255-4678).