Ol' Crimson

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Ol' Crimson is a Washington State Cougars flag flown in the background of College GameDay , a weekly college football TV program set on different college campuses across the nation. [1] [2] First flown by Tom Pounds in the crowd behind GameDay's coverage of a 2003 season matchup in Austin, Texas, [3] Ol' Crimson has become well-known for its longevity as a tradition, with the flag having been seen on 300 College GameDay broadcasts as of the end of the 2023 college football season. [4] The tradition is coordinated by the Ol' Crimson Booster Club, which ships the flag to Washington State alumni who live near to where that week's episode of GameDay will be broadcast. [5] Multiple flags have been given the title of "Ol' Crimson", with all but the first two having been handmade by Tom Pounds. [6]

History

The first flag called "Ol' Crimson" was created by Tom Pounds' wife Syndie. [6] Tom then drove to Austin, Texas to fly the flag in the background of College GameDay's broadcast ahead of a 2003 game between the Kansas State Wildcats and the Texas Longhorns, in an attempt to convince the program to visit a game at WSU's campus in Pullman, Washington. [7] Since that broadcast, a Washington State flag has appeared on every College GameDay show, including broadcasts from the Magic Kingdom, [8] a United States Navy ship, [7] and GameDay's first appearance in Pullman. [3]

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References

  1. ↑ Jones, Kelsey (October 22, 2015). "How Washington State's Ol' Crimson flag became a staple at ESPN's College Gameday". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved October 5, 2023. The tradition began in 2003 at a GameDay show in Texas. Tom Pounds, a WSU alumnus, drove to Texas with the flag to convince the show to come to Pullman. At the time, WSU was in the midst of a nine win season. The flag, christened Ol' Crimson, grew in popularity. [...] Twelve years later GameDay still has not stopped in Pullman. The flag has become a nationally recognized symbol representing the fan base that will never stop its love affair with its football team and school.
  2. ↑ "Ol' Crimson flies over Pullman". Washington State Magazine . February 2, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2023. After 15 years of faithfully waving the Cougar flag on ESPN's College GameDay, the whole nation saw the symbol of Cougar pride at the first airing of the popular football pregame TV show in Pullman on October 20, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Ol' Crimson flies over Pullman". Washington State Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  4. ↑ Johnson, Richard (2023-10-13). "Why Oregon State, Wazzu Have Teamed Up With 'College GameDay' Flags". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  5. ↑ WILLMAN, BRANDON. "A Tradition unique to the Cougs turns 19". The Daily Evergreen. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  6. 1 2 "History". Ol' Crimson Booster Club. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  7. 1 2 Jones, Kelsey (2015-10-22). "'This is something only Cougs can do'". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  8. ↑ "'National crisis averted.' Ol' Crimson streak lives to see appearance No. 225 at Magic Kingdom | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
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