Meet the Oklahoma State football fans behind Shirtless Guy Section

A fan started a shirtless movement in an empty student section during an Oklahoma State football game on a dare from his sister.What began with one man grew to hundreds of fans, gaining national attention and praise from the team’s interim coach.The “Shirtless Guy Section” provided a positive moment for fans during a difficult season for the Cowboys.

STILLWATER — After seeking a halftime reprieve from the midday sun, Trent Eaton and Callista Bradford returned to their Boone Pickens Stadium seats on Saturday afternoon and realized much of the usually packed student section had cleared out.

Understandable, considering the state of things with Oklahoma State football.

But it still shocked the brother-sister tandem.

“There’s like four completely empty sections over in the student area,” Eaton mused as the second half against Houston started.

“I dare you to go over there,” Bradford said without hesitation. “I will give you $10 to go over there and wave your shirt around.”

Eaton responded with an equal lack of hesitation.

“OK,” he said, “I’ll do it.”

What happened next has become the feel-good story of the college football season.

On a Saturday that continued OSU’s downward spiral with a three-touchdown loss to Houston, Cowboys everywhere actually had reason to smile. A 40-year-old father from Edmond started a movement that grew from one guy to two to four to hundreds.

The Shirtless Guy Section.

“I’m just glad that something good is putting OSU back on the map after kind of having a rough year,” Bradford said. “Something that’s good is coming back to OSU.”

And this was really, really good.

It all started with Eaton and Bradford.

As Eaton made his way nearly all the way around the stadium from their seats in Section 1, which is right off the field in the far southeast corner, Bradford told people sitting around her what her brother was doing. She is an alum and a longtime season-ticket holder, so the 32-year-old has gotten to know most of the folks who sit near her.

Because Eaton regularly joins her — his invite Saturday happened to be last-minute when Bradford’s husband decided to bow out — most folks in Section 1 know that Eaton has taken up his sister on her dares before. Go up and talk to a stranger? Done. Dance with someone who’s not a great dancer? Sure.

Eaton isn’t afraid.

So on Saturday when he finally reached Section 231, where he actually had a ticket for the game, Bradford and others in Section 1 started recording him on their phones. They recorded him walking up the steps, looking at his phone, then looking at the seats.

“I had my phone out because I wanted to make sure I didn’t take somebody else’s seat by accident,” Eaton explained. “It was Section 231, near the top. I think it was like seat 18 and 19. Because it looked like nobody else was sitting there.”

Um, no one was sitting in any of the seats in that section.

Bradford laughed.

“He pretended like he was looking for his correct seat in a whole empty section,” she said.

Eaton found his seat, sat down for a second and took off his orange T-shirt with the script Pokes across the front.

“Here we go,” he thought, then stood up and started twirling his shirt over his head.

Bradford and everyone else in Section 1 went bonkers.

“Obviously, he couldn’t hear us, but we were trying our best,” Bradford said.

Then someone approached Eaton. He didn’t know it at the time, but the guy’s name was Luke Schneberger. He politely asked Eaton, “Do you mind if I join you?”

Eaton smiled.

“Go right ahead,” he said.

Eaton had thought it would be great if someone joined him, but he figured if it was just one or two other people, the whole thing would die out pretty quickly.

But then, two more guys walked up the stairs to Section 231.

Then a few more.

When the group grew to a dozen or so shirtless guys waving their shirts over their heads, Eaton realized the whole thing wasn’t dying.

It was growing.

Bradford and everyone in Section 1 were giddy. They laughed. They cheered. They hollered. But they also marveled; something small had grown so big that they watched as fans were running around the stadium to get to Section 231.

“We knew exactly what these people were running for,” Bradford said. “They wanted to go and join in.”

Everyone wanted to relish the Shirtless Guy Section, which actually went plural because the group grew so big that it spilled into surrounding sections. The TV broadcast documented the growth of the group. The stadium jumbotron showed shots and eventually dubbed it “NEW WORLD RECORD (PROBABLY) MOST SHIRTLESS GUYS IN A SECTION.” And of course, social media went crazy about it.

ESPN gave the section its fans-of-the-week honor, OSU created a four-minute video called “Shirtless Section 231: The Full Recap,” and you can even find merchandise inspired by the whole thing.

“We have seen some of the merch,” Eaton said, “and I’m not gonna lie, a few of the things I do wanna get because I think they’re just funny.”

A company called Inappropriate Trucker Hats has a whole line of Shirtless Guy Section hats, including one with an outline of Eaton and the words LOYAL AND TRUE.

While the national attention has been wild for Eaton and Bradford — “I am just trying to keep up with all the comments and trying to like them,” Bradford said. “It’s a lot” — they were most excited about the positive energy it created for Cowboy fans. During a season in which Mike Gundy got fired, a wide receiver is now playing quarterback and darn near every player in the secondary has entered the portal, the Shirtless Guy Section had everyone at Boone Pickens Stadium cheering.

“I don’t know who those kids were up there with their shirts off, but that was awesome,” OSU interim coach Doug Meacham said after the game. “Did you all see that?”

How could anyone miss it?

“Hey, guys, whoever you are, that was phenomenal,” Meacham added. “Our guys felt it. That was something. You don’t see it very often with things not going the way you want them to. I appreciate our students hanging in there with us and giving us something to play for.”

Now, the Shirtless Guys were mostly students but not all of them. There were kids. There were dads.

And there was a 40-year-old who started it all. OSU, the school of Pistol Pete, has a new folk hero. Frank Eaton, say hello to Trent Eaton.

So, how much alcohol was involved in all this?

“He was sober,” Bradford said.

“Completely sober,” Eaton confirmed.

What about post-Shirtless Guy Section sunburn?

“There were comments about it being an impromptu white out party,” Eaton joked. “I was able to make it through without getting any sunburn.”

Though Eaton did reactivate his only social media account, changing the handle to @TorsoOfTriumph, The Shirtless Shaman of Stillwater, and indicating that he’s “now accepting sponsorships and sunscreen donations.”

And lest you think Eaton could use the $10 he made off his sister, the bet wasn’t paid.

“Actually, he bought me lunch after,” Bradford said.

“So it cost me even more money,” Eaton said.

“But he did get in free from my season ticket.”

Eaton and Bradford would love it if the Shirtless Guy Section caught on. Maybe it will be replicated around the country. Perhaps it will continue at Cowboy football games, maybe have Section 231 be mandatory shirtless, or it could spread to other OSU sports. Cowgirl basketball coach Jacie Hoyt even invited the shirtless guys to her team’s games.

But if it happens again Saturday when OSU hosts Cincinnati, it will be without Eaton. He’s headed out of state on a trip with his wife.

“I’m hoping he’ll come to the next game,” Bradford said.

Eaton isn’t ruling that out.

As for another Shirtless Guy Section?

“I’m pretty sure people have seen enough of my topless body for now.”

Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at jcarlson@oklahoman.com. Like her at facebook.com/JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at @jennicarlsonok.bsky.social and twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok, and support her work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.