A flag can announce a win, identify a community, or carry a memory across the country. These six moments show how a familiar piece of fabric becomes part of the story people keep telling.
01 / 2003 → TODAY / ON THE ROAD
Ol’ Crimson: showing up became the tradition
On October 4, 2003, Tom Pounds brought a homemade Washington State flag to ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast in Austin, Texas. What began with one supporter became a traveling commitment: Cougar fans would keep their school visible wherever the show went. The Ol’ Crimson Booster Club records that first appearance and the people who carried the idea forward.
The remarkable part is the handoff. A flag has to reach the next city. Someone has to wake up early, find a place in the crowd, and hold it high. That repeated effort gives the crimson field and Cougar mark their meaning. For fans watching from home, spotting the flag is a small reunion with people they may never have met. It is a compelling model for an away-game tradition: bring your identity with you, and keep showing up.
Read the source: Ol’ Crimson Booster Club: the first appearance · WSU: the people behind the tradition
02 / SEPTEMBER 9, 2017 / COLUMBUS, OHIO
Baker Mayfield: a road win with an exclamation point
After Oklahoma beat Ohio State 31–16 in Columbus, Baker Mayfield carried an Oklahoma flag to midfield and planted it on the Buckeyes’ logo. The celebration gave an already significant road win a single, unmistakable image. Mayfield apologized two days later for the midfield gesture.
The flag made the celebration territorial. Oklahoma’s colors stood at the center of Ohio State’s field, and the same act could read as triumph to one crowd and disrespect to the other. That tension helps explain why the image lasted. A flag can say who won, who came with you, and where you believe you belong—before anyone says a word.
Read the source: Yahoo Sports: Oklahoma’s win and the flag plant · ESPN: Mayfield’s September 11 apology
03 / NOVEMBER 30, 2024 / COLUMBUS, OHIO
Michigan at Ohio State: when the symbol became the flashpoint
Michigan’s 13–10 win at Ohio State on November 30, 2024, was followed by an attempted Michigan flag plant at midfield. Ohio State players confronted the Wolverines, a fight broke out, and police used pepper spray. The Big Ten subsequently fined each university $100,000 for sportsmanship violations.
The aftermath belongs in the story. Rivalry gives a flag emotional weight, but that weight can turn a celebration into a confrontation. This moment makes the setting impossible to separate from the symbol. Carrying your colors on the road can express loyalty and confidence; claiming an opponent’s midfield asks everyone watching to interpret something more provocative. The lasting lesson is to make the statement count while respecting the people sharing the space.
Read the source: Michigan Athletics: the 13–10 result · Associated Press: the attempted plant and aftermath · Big Ten: institutional fines
04 / OCTOBER 12, 2003 → TODAY / SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
The Seahawks’ 12 Flag: giving the crowd its moment
On October 12, 2003, 12 original Seahawks season-ticket holders raised the 12 Flag before a home game. The ceremony grew into a familiar pre-kickoff ritual, with former players, local figures, and community heroes taking turns. In its twentieth-anniversary history, the team describes the emotional connection shared by the flag raisers, players, and crowd.
Here the flag’s power comes from invitation. Everyone knows when to look up, and everyone understands what the number represents. The ceremony gives the supporters a place in the game before the first snap. A great home tradition often works that way: one clear symbol, one shared moment, repeated until the place would feel incomplete without it.
Read the source: Seattle Seahawks: twenty years of the 12 Flag ceremony
05 / 2016 WORLD SERIES / CHICAGO & BEYOND
Fly the W: a whole celebration in one letter
The Cubs’ W flag grew from a practical scoreboard signal into a symbol supporters could carry anywhere. The National Baseball Hall of Fame traces the tradition to the 1930s, when flags told people near Wrigley Field whether the team had won or lost. The familiar white flag with a blue W became a rallying symbol for the 2016 Cubs, who won their first World Series since 1908.
Its strength is its simplicity. One letter can turn a window, porch, or gathering into an announcement that needs no explanation among fans. In a championship season, that everyday ritual gains a different scale. The symbol stays the same; the memories attached to it grow.
Read the source: National Baseball Hall of Fame: Fly the W
06 / SEPTEMBER 23, 2001 / DOVER, DELAWARE
Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Dover: a victory lap shared with a nation
NASCAR’s Cup Series returned to racing after the September 11 attacks at Dover on September 23, 2001. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won and took a victory lap with a large American flag flying from his car. NASCAR’s retrospective places that scene within a day shaped by grief, heightened security, and a powerful need to come together.
This flag story carries a different kind of meaning. The people watching did not need to support the same driver to understand it. A familiar national symbol made room for a shared response to loss. Remembering the moment means preserving that context, and the people it honored, alongside the sporting achievement.
Read the source: NASCAR: how racing began to heal in September 2001
YOUR NEXT GAMEDAY
What will your flag stand for?
A home ritual. A road trip with friends. A season you will always remember. The strongest flag stories start with people who care enough to show up—and a symbol they choose to bring with them.
Explore the current flags connected to these teams and traditions, or begin a custom kit for your own crowd.