STILLWATER – Oklahoma State will host the eighth-annual Homecoming & Hoops, sponsored by Homeland, on Friday, October 24, at 9 pm inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. Doors to the east lobby will open at 8 pm, and seating for the public is general admission in the 300 level. Admission is free, although it is a first-come, first-serve event, with tickets provided at the door. The floor seating is reserved, and will require a wristband for entry. Concessions will be open, and parking around the Athletics Center will be open as well.
The festivities will include an appearance by Cowboy football coach Mike Gundy and the team captains as they prepare for Saturday's 2:30 pm contest vs West Virginia. It will also include formal introductions of the Cowboy and Cowgirl Basketball teams, as well as intra-squad scrimmages for both. Also scheduled are the announcement of many Homecoming awards, and performances by the OSU Spirit Squads.
A brief history of Homecoming & Hoops: Oklahoma State began hosting an annual kickoff to the basketball season in October of 2002, called the Basketball Bash. The Bash took place on a Saturday afternoon in mid-October for three seasons. In 2005, the event was titled, “An Evening with Eddie”, and was scheduled on a Friday night. In 2006, the event returned to Saturday afternoon and was the Basketball Bash for one more season, before the event was scheduled for the Friday night before homecoming in 2007, and renamed Homecoming & Hoops. It serves as an introduction to the men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as a pep rally for the Cowboy football squad.