Shirtless fans take college football by storm from Oklahoma State to UCLA to Wisconsin
When your team is losing (or even sometimes winning), male fans are going shirtless in a trend that is catching on. The post Shirtless fans take college football by storm from Oklahoma State to UCLA to Wisconsin appeared first on Outsports.
Mark
The newest craze in college football has the endorsement of gay fans everywhere and a hope that it catches on in all sports.
It involves struggling teams with swaths of empty bleachers and students who race to the section during the game, taking off their shirts and cavorting shirtless. It began with one lone Oklahoma State fan in a game on Oct. 11 and spread to a least five other schools over the weekend.
We've got waving shirts in Camp Randall pic.twitter.com/tlfP21ci9L— CBS Sports College Football 
(@CBSSportsCFB) October 18, 2025
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News9 in Oklahoma detailed the trend at Oklahoma State:
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“Oklahoma State’s shirtless fans in section 231 became a viral sensation during the Houston game last week. Video of the fans twirling their shirts over their heads during the 2nd half of the OSU/Houston game spread across the globe.
“Section 231 was back for Saturday night’s homecoming game against Cincinnati. As soon as the gates opened, fans flocked to the area. The section itself was even renamed “2-noshirty-1,” inspired by the viral moment. From 2 hours before kickoff, until the alma mater was sung after the game, the section was loud, and did it’s best to inspire the Cowboys on the field.”
One key ingredient is a mediocre team, which means sparser crowds and sections of the stands that sit empty, just waiting for shirtless dudes to descend on them. After winning its opener, Oklahoma State has now lost six games in a row and fired longtime coach Mike Gundy, which makes for a lot of empty seats.
But it’s not only bad teams where the shirtless craze is happening. UCLA, which has won three games in a row after firing its coach, nonetheless has trouble drawing fans to its home stadium, the Rose Bowl. And with Southern California temps in the 80s on Saturday, Bruins fans took advantage by baring their torsos.
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Eric Bailey, who covers Oklahoma State for the Tulsa World, summed up why this trend is wholesome and fun: “You are only a college student once. It doesn’t matter if your team is getting k*lled on the field. Find a way to have fun. The shirtless section has grown in the second half. They are loud and enjoying life.”
We agree. It sure beats wearing a paper bag over your head out of embarrassment. The real test, though, will come in the next few weeks, when chilly temperatures start arriving; then the true test of shirtless fandom will start.
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The post Shirtless fans take college football by storm from Oklahoma State to UCLA to Wisconsin appeared first on Outsports.
