This was the first GameDay at which Washington State fans flew a school flag, a tradition that has continued ever since.
October 4, 2003: GameDay’s visit to Texas for the Kansas State–Texas game marks the first appearance of the “Coug Flag”, as Washington State fans begin their ongoing tradition of flying a school flag at every GameDay broadcast.
The idea was born on Cougfan.com, where a fan suggested that someone wave the WSU flag at a GameDay broadcast in Austin, Texas. Tom Pounds, an electrical engineer, decided to bring the idea to life. He stayed up until the wee hours to create the original flag, dubbed Ol’ Crimson. Pounds then drove the flag 800 miles from his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico to Austin, Texas and waved it in the background of the GameDay broadcast.
“Chapter 1 Verse 1 Tom Pounds said let’s go to Austin and wave a Coug flag on ESPN College Gameday. Coug Nation shall respond and it will become a tradition celebrated by all of college football nation. Tom called the flag OlCrimson. And it was good.”