What does it mean to endure?

- to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding

- suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently

- to undergo especially without giving in 

English essayist, William Hazlitt, said that “The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.”

It is time to start enjoying a little in Stillwater, Oklahoma. 

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Sunday, November 9th, 2025 – Historic Gallagher-Iba Arena – Stillwater, Oklahoma

The clock struck one and the Oklahoma State Cowboys, led by second year head coach, Steve Lutz, would soon strike “won”, to the tune of an 87-63 victory over, former Big 12 member, Texas A&M. The Aggies led Sunday’s contest once. They happened to make the first basket of the game, and, after that, it was all Pokes. And it was awesome. It made me feel otherworldly joy. It made me feel nostalgic. And, for the first time in a while, it made me feel hope. 

As a long time watcher of Oklahoma State athletics, I know what it means to endure. I’ve endured, as a fan and a once resident, the tragedies that have struck the town of Stillwater and the university, I’ve endured the heartbreaking losses, I’ve endured Sean Sutton, Travis Ford, the Brad Underwood betrayal, the very likeable and charismatic, but “unfortunately, your time is up” Mike Boynton. I’ve endured the rise and fall of the Gundy empire. 

To be an Oklahoma State fan is to endure. I feel like I speak for several when I say that. To endure is part of what it means to be a fan of not just Oklahoma State, but a fan in general. 

Though there are times, in fandom and in endurance, where you get to enjoy a little. And that’s exactly what I did on Sunday afternoon and evening. 

It wasn’t very long ago when I, jokingly, would troll Kansas fans during the college football season. I had previously made memes based around KU praying for basketball to start or to come sooner to save them from the woes of the Jayhawks football season. The script has kind of been flipped (though hopefully not for much longer).

I hesitated to create recaps of both the Cowboys and Cowgirls games, as I thought this needed addressed as a whole. Let it breathe and give it the importance of what is occurring, currently, in Stillwater and in historic Gallagher-Iba arena, so far, this season. 

It's not just a comeback, or a resurgence, or a stroke of luck. What is happening in Stillwater, specifically on Hall of Fame Avenue and in Gallagher-Iba Arena, is a renaissance. It’s a damn renaissance. 

I know it’s very early, as the Cowgirls will play their fifth game of the season on Tuesday morning, while the Cowboys will play their third basketball contest on Wednesday. But where there is room for hope and glee, hope and glee will infiltrate. 

Let’s break it down. 

The Aggies’ come into Stillwater on Sunday, November 9th. It’s their first time back in Stillwater since I was a freshman (2011) and lived across the street from G-Iba, in West Bennett Hall. First time since A&M was a part of the Big 12. Texas A&M was a fourth seed in the NCAA Tournament last year and reached the second round before bowing out. The last time Oklahoma State made the second round of the Big Dance? 2021. Where they lost to a lesser OSU, Oregon State. Before that? 2009. Where they lost to a one seed, Pittsburgh, by one point, in the round of 32. It’s been 20 years since Oklahoma State has reached the Sweet Sixteen.

 So Tom, why now, do you feel confident in this Oklahoma State team? The Pokes don’t have a surefire top ten first round NBA pick on the roster, do they? They don’t have a Marcus Smart or a Cade Cunningham on this year’s team? ---- No, you’re right. They don’t. But what they do have is a capable coach. A coach who knows how to play the transfer portal and a coach who knows how to recruit just as well, if not better, than the Fords or the Boyntons before him. The Pokes also have last year’s points per game leader, in Anthony Roy, and he hasn’t even seen the floor. You see what I’m saying? 

There is much more hype around this Cowboys basketball team than there has been since freakin’ Le’Bryan Nash announced he was coming to Stillwater. Even in the Smart and Cunningham years, there wasn’t as much noise. Sunday’s game against Texas A&M saw over 7,500 fans in attendance. That’s just over 50%, but I believe, as time goes on, it will grow. Players like Vyctorious Miller and Christian Coleman will have casual fans more endeared with this team. When you hear stories like those of Iranian Cowboy, Parsa Fallah (I will address this incredible story soon), you will find fans with their ass in a Gallagher-Iba seat. It’s inevitable. 

Much like the Cowboy Men’s Basketball team, is the Jacie Hoyt led Cowgirls. The Oklahoma State Women’s team is currently ranked 20th in the nation and looks to extend their winning streak to five on Tuesday morning against Prairie View A&M. The Cowgirls made the Big Dance last season but unfortunately fell short in the first round.

Though last season was not a disappointing one for the Cowgirls. Hoyt has doubled down and brought in several ballers to the 2025-2026 season roster. Players like Haleigh Timmer, who played spoiler to the Cowgirls last season on South Dakota State, or Amari Whiting, who was coached by her mom at BYU before transferring to Stillwater. Or bringing in freshman all stars like Lena Girardi, daughter of MLB Hall of Famer, Joe Girardi. The Cowgirls are making noise and they have in-state players that are leading the charge too. Players from OKC, like senior Micah Gray, or the sisters from Sapulpa, Stailee and Tyla Heard. Are you hearing me?

The renaissance is happening in Stillwater. 

We’ve heard coaches in the past, like Sean Sutton, Ford, Underwood, Boynton try their best to make Gallagher-Iba rowdy again. And it has had it’s moments. But I believe what Jacie Hoyt and Steve Lutz are cooking up is nothing like we’ve seen since Toothless in Seattle or JamesOn Curry (JamesOn Fire), or Byron Eaton’s toss up, or Markel Brown turning every game into a relentless highlight reel dunk contest. The fan support looks like it is there. The Boone Pickens Bananas migrated from next door on Sunday. A large majority of the men’s game fans stayed for the women’s game that started a couple of hours later at 5:00PM. In a football season(s) with despair, Hoyt and Lutz are leading us through the proverbial desert to the oasis that is Gallagher-Iba Arena. I cannot wait to be a part of it. And I cannot wait to root both the Cowboys and the Cowgirls on when March Madness comes around. Cowboy fans have endured enough. 

It is time to give the basketball teams a homecourt advantage again. It is time to make Gallagher-Iba Arena officially rowdy again. 

We’ve endured very much. Now it’s time to enjoy a little.