For more than two decades, Jay Rosser worked for the late T. Boone Pickens.
His first stint was as communications director for Mesa Petroleum, the prominent oil and natural gas company known for its aggressive takeover strategy. Rosser returned to Pickens’ fold in 2003, rising to chief of staff and helping guide Pickens’ media, political and philanthropic endeavors.
If you knew Pickens, you knew that Rosser had his hands full.
His second stint included much more football talk — particularly as it related to Oklahoma State University, where Pickens earned his geology degree.
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They’d kinda sidestepped such convos in the past because Rosser is an ardent fan of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, OSU’s Big 12 rival.
Jay Rosser, chief of staff for the late T. Boone Pickens, poses for a photo, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
“Boone got tired of being on the wrong side of the scoreboard at so many homecoming games — the Cowboys just weren’t good back in those days — and he realized something had to be done,” Rosser recalled. “That sparked his stadium initiative — all an attempt to address one of my favorite Booneisms: ‘Show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser.’ ”
In 2003, his legendary boss gave $70 million to the OSU athletic department (its largest gift ever), including $20 million to upgrade the football stadium. Lewis Stadium was renamed Boone Pickens Stadium as thanks for his largess.
Big news at the time, but it turned out to be just the beginning.
Nov 17, 2012; Stillwater OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys team huddle before the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE
Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE – US PRESSWIRE
In 2006, Pickens gave $165 million to renovate the school’s rusting stadium — known by many as “Rustoleum”.
Rosser recalled walking into Pickens’ office after the 2006 mega gift, proffering front-page clippings from around the country. He fully expected his boss’s grateful adulation.
Pickens looked at Rosser and said simply: “For $165 million, that’s the least you could do.”
Pickens pumped more money into his pet project. “It literally triggered a stadium arms race with schools throughout the then Big 12 scrambling to complete,” Rosser said.
Recently, USA Today declared the house that Boone built was the best in American college football as judged by the combined ratings systems at Yelp, Tripadvisor and Google. It garnered a 4.8 (out of 5) star rating based on more than 1,700 combined entries on the three services.
All told, Pickens gave $652 million to OSU, split nearly 50-50 between athletics and academics.
“I don’t know what academic achievements OSU has to crow about these days,” said Rosser — who remains Red Raider true — “but I do know that Boone Pickens Stadium was named the greatest college football stadium in the country.
“I’d say he walked off this earth a winner.”