Oklahoma State Hockey Plans to Donate Majority of Bedlam on Ice Revenue to Football

Oklahoma State hockey is bringing an unprecedented event to Boone Pickens Stadium. And the football program stands to benefit from it.

Michael Mann, one of the driving forces behind the growth of Cowboy Hockey, said Tuesday that the majority of revenue generated from Bedlam on Ice will be donated back to the Oklahoma State football program.

“Every dollar counts when it comes to football these days,” Mann said. “We're just trying to make a little dent in that.”

The decision adds another layer to Oklahoma State's announcement that Boone Pickens Stadium will host its first hockey game when the Cowboys face Oklahoma on Jan. 30 at 6 p.m.

Mann described the decision to give revenue back to football as part of a larger effort toward alignment across the university.

What makes that goal even more notable is the cost required to make the event happen. Mann said installing the temporary rink at Boone Pickens Stadium will cost approximately $1 million for just four days of use, with the entire event expected to cost between $1.5 million and $2 million.

The rink will take approximately a week and a half to set up before being installed east-to-west over the football playing surface.

Despite those costs, Mann said Oklahoma State University is not putting money into the event. Instead, the student-led organization has worked with corporate sponsors and private donors to fund the project.

That approach is consistent with the model Cowboy Hockey has used while rapidly expanding its operation. Mann told the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents in March that the club expected to operate with a $2 million budget during the upcoming season and had already generated more than $600,000 in merchandise sales. He also emphasized that the organization's growth has been driven largely by students and private financial support.

The club has even outlined a long-term goal of eventually reaching NCAA Division I hockey through private funding. Tuesday's announcement represents its latest major step.

Oklahoma State and Oklahoma drew more than 15,000 ticket sales for their February matchup at the BOK Center in Tulsa, with the Cowboys winning 13-2. OSU later advanced to the ACHA Men's Division II national championship game.

Now Cowboy Hockey is moving Bedlam into a venue with a significantly larger profile. The rink will cover the Boone Pickens Stadium playing surface, OSU students will receive free admission and fans will have opportunities to skate on the ice themselves in the days leading up to the game.

The vision didn't develop overnight. Mann said the idea originated with Oklahoma State's student board after members attended an NHL outdoor game roughly a year ago. Discussions about making an outdoor game in Stillwater a reality intensified approximately three to four months ago.

By January, that idea will become reality. But for a hockey organization attempting to demonstrate how much value it can bring to Oklahoma State, perhaps the most significant part isn't simply putting a rink inside Boone Pickens Stadium.

It's doing so without university funding — and planning to send most of the revenue back to the football program.