Cross Canadian Ragweed helping out Oklahoma State athletics.
This past weekend marked one of the biggest – if not the biggest – red dirt reunions of all time. Cross Canadian Ragweed made their triumphant return to the stage after a 15-year hiatus for their massive collection of Boys From Oklahoma shows at Boone Pickens Stadium.
The group formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in the mid-90s, featuring the likes of Cody Canada, Grady Cross, Randy Ragsdale and Jeremy Plato. Ragweed became a cornerstone of the Red Dirt movement beginning in 1994, and band took off like a rocket ship with the release of their 1998 debut album, Carney. CCR went on to release 7 studio albums and 3 live albums, then sadly disbanded in 2010.
So you could say this reunion was one that was 15 years in the making.
Fans of the red dirt group freaked out when the Boys From Oklahoma show was announced, and there was such high demand for the reunion show (150,000 people registered for presale tickets) that the one night concert morphed into a four night run. And every night sold out pretty much immediately.
The event got started last Thursday night, and as you’ll see in the video below, the energy in Boone Pickens Stadium (home of the Oklahoma State Cowboys) was incredible. It was fitting that Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy walked out on stage to introduce Ragweed:
@blondeonsports Mike Gundy #blondeonsports #boysfromoklahoma #mikegundy ♬ original sound – blondeonsports
Why do I say it was fitting?
Well, in a weird and confusing way, Coach Mike Gundy was hoping that the four night run would be a whopping success… and it was. According to reports, the Boys From Oklahoma concerts brought in millions of dollars, with some saying the number was close to $5.5 million. Safe to say that country music fans were excited to see Cross Canadian Ragweed back together again.
And I said there was a strange connection with the athletic department at Oklahoma State and how well the concert sold because it’s believed that much of the profits from the four nights of shows will go towards OSU’s NIL fund. Translation: Cody Canada got the boys back together, and doing so might have directly contributed to Okahoma State becoming a football powerhouse.
BREAKING: Per reports,#OkState generated around $4-5.5 Million in sales from its “Boys From Oklahoma” Concert.
Profits will go towards OSU’s NIL fund & will likely bring a gigantic boost towards its athletics. pic.twitter.com/qKntnnn9xZ
— Reagan Harris (OSU Mart) (@OKSTMart) April 14, 2025
How crazy is that? Country music helping out college sports. Obviously Cross Canadian Ragweed didn’t set out to get back together with helping OSU’s Name, Image and Likeness funds in mind, but it’s certainly a positive result.
The post also added that OSU’s NIL fund wasn’t the only thing that benefited from the massive reunion concert. Stillwater, Oklahoma – the city where this wild run of CCR shows took place – apparently saw historic economic inflow from the four nights of concerts. It’s believed that the city will be eligible for tax breaks and other city improvements, all thanks to Cross Canadian Ragweed getting back together.
Could one make the argument that Cross Canadian Ragweed single handedly saved the economy – and the college football team – in Stillwater, Oklahoma?
