Oklahoma basketball will honor Toby Keith with red Solo cups at Bedlam

On Tuesday, country singer and Oklahoma Sooners fan Toby Keith died after a multiyear battle with stomach cancer. Oklahoma Men’s Basketball will honor Keith’s memory when they square off against Oklahoma State on Saturday by serving all drinks in red solo cups, per Toby Rowland.

Keith was best known for his massive country music hits, including “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “How Do You Like Me Now?!” and, of course, “Red Solo Cup.” The patriotic singer-songwriter gained popularity in 1993 with his self-titled album: “Toby Keith.”

Keith’s humorous 2011 song about partiers’ go-to cup was an instant hit and went on to become triple platinum, signifying sales in excess of three million units. Keith admitted he wasn’t certain about the song at first.

“‘Red Solo Cup’ is like a squirrel loose in a church house. We can play it in an office and then play five other songs, give it an hour, walk out, and you’d hear the receptionist singing it,” Keith said. “It’s like nursery rhyme stupid.”

Stupid or not, it’s a certified classic like many of Keith’s other tunes. In total, Keith released 19 studio albums, two Christmas albums, and five compilation albums, totaling worldwide sales of over 40 million albums. He charted 61 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including 20 No. 1 hits.

Toby Keith was a lifelong Oklahoma Sooners fan

When Keith wasn’t entertaining the masses, he loved to enjoy Oklahoma Sooners sports. Keith grew up in Oklahoma and played defensive end at Moore High School. He also later played with the semi-pro Oklahoma City Drillers.

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma athletics department released a statement following Keith’s death.

“The OU Athletics family is incredibly saddened by the passing of our dear friend Toby Keith,” the department wrote on X. “It’s a profoundly sad reality to exist in a world where Toby doesn’t. He brought life and joy to every room he entered, and our hearts are dimmer today without him.

“An American icon and a stalwart Sooner. A superstar talent and a fierce friend of our program. We thank him for the unwavering support he always gave, his generosity as a human being and the countless smiles and memories he created here in Oklahoma and around the world.”

Keith was proud to be from the Sooner State.

“More so than anything, I’m just proud to be an Oklahoman. Everywhere I go … I hear people say, ‘You know, you’re the face of the Sooner nation.’ Or if I go overseas, or if I go into other states, people will wave an Oklahoma flag or a Sooner flag,” Keith told The Oklahoman in a 2007 interview.

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will go head-to-head at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.