Brian Bosworth Gets Emotional Over Norman Water Tower Becoming Dr. Pepper Fansville Icon

Norman City Council gave the green light to a deal with Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. to paint the Dr Pepper “Fansville” logo on the Lindsey Street water tower, turning it into a big tourist attraction for the area.

The artwork is part of Dr Pepper’s popular national “Fansville” campaign and should be up by October 15, right before the Sooners host Kentucky.

Dr Pepper will pay the city $500,000 over 10 years, with the first payment of $75,000 going toward painting the logo on the tank. The campaign is built around a fictional college football-obsessed town that’s been featured in a bunch of TV commercials, including ones starring former OU football legend Brian Bosworth as the sheriff.

The Lindsey Street water tower is about 100 years old. Back in 2014, the city determined the tank no longer had the hydraulic characteristics needed for regular use, but they kept the structure around in case they wanted to use it for potable water storage later. Now it’s getting a fresh coat of paint with a three-coat system from TMI Coatings.

The total bid for the work was $532,200, and the Dr Pepper money will help offset that cost. This repaint should keep the tower in good shape for at least the next 10 years.

Parks and Recreation Director Jason Olsen said city staff had been working with Dr Pepper for 90 to 120 days to put the deal together. The city could add lighting to the tower, but it’s not required in the contract. Any updates to the artwork during the 10 years will be on Dr Pepper’s dime.

Olsen said, “We do believe this will be a great regional tourism attraction. There is a lot of … love for Dr Pepper and ‘Fansville,’ especially with the tie-in with Brian Bosworth.

”The city and Dr Pepper will team up to promote the tower through visitor guides and digital tourism efforts. Dr Pepper gets to hold one Kickoff Event and five hosted events per year at the site, plus they can set up temporary attractions and hand out samples.

Sooner legend Brian Bosworth, who plays the sheriff in the Fansville commercials, was pumped about the news.

He told KREF’s Chris Plank, "I got chills, and you know I got a little melancholy because it was like man, that's some real stuff there. That is so cool that they're gonna do that. But to pick Norman, the crimson and creme of the crop of the college football world to come there, and obviously I'm thinking it's not coincidental, but that they're gonna represent the University of Oklahoma and Norman, the fans that come there are gonna represent Fansville. And Fansville is a representation of all the pride and passion of college football."

That quote from Bosworth captures the excitement perfectly. Norman has deep college football roots, and tying the tower into the Fansville campaign with a local legend like The Boz involved just feels right.

The city and Norman Utility Authority will handle maintenance — keeping the structure sound, electrical systems working, mowing, and general upkeep. If the agreement gets extended or renewed, they’ll negotiate new payments. If it ends, Dr Pepper covers up to $25,000 to remove the artwork.

Norman Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman said, “Excited that this opportunity came up and what opportunities it might lend with potential tourism and things like that.”

This is a smart move for Norman. It brings in revenue, creates a unique photo spot for fans visiting Norman and OU games, and ties the city even more closely to the college football culture that already runs strong here. The water tower has been around for a century, and now it’s getting a fresh, fun look that should draw visitors for years to come.

For Sooner fans, seeing the Fansville logo on a Norman landmark just feels like a win. It’s another way the community and the university stay connected.