From a $10 Bet to a National Stadium Phenomenon
By AJ Hammerle | 7 June 2026
Nobody planned this. Nobody pitched it in a marketing meeting or tested it in a focus group. "Tarps Off" is the movement sweeping Major League Baseball in 2026, where fans take their shirts off and wave them overhead like a helicopter. But it started with a $10 dare, a bad football team, and one guy willing to look ridiculous alone.
The Oklahoma Origin
To understand the movement, you have to rewind to Oct. 11, 2025, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma State was in the middle of a disappointing 1-11 season, and down late in a 37-19 blowout at the hands of the Houston Cougars. This is when a fan was dared by his sister to stand shirtless in an open section and wave his shirt around alone. The fan accepted the $10 bet and began to do it.
Other fans soon joined the fan, and out of nowhere hundreds of people were shirtless in a section on a random Friday night in Oklahoma. This display of innovation in fan engagement, though organic, quickly signaled a shift in how modern crowds interact with struggling teams.
A Collegiate Catalyst
The trend caught fire all over the college football world; schools like Wisconsin, Michigan State, North Carolina, and many more joined the movement. Hundreds of fans all over the country were at a game, just trying to have a good time.
“I really liked how spontaneous it was,” said Michigan State senior Supply Chain Management student Gavin Crosby. “It might’ve been a joke, but it still felt like school spirit and a cool tradition to be a part of.” Crosby joined the section of yelling, shirtless fans in the Spartans' 31-20 loss against rival Michigan in October of 2025.
Transition to the Diamond
Fast forward to May, and now baseball season is underway, and the trend had found its second wind. The Stephen F. Austin University Club baseball team was in town for the NCBA Division II World Series being held in Alton, Illinois, near St. Louis, home of the Cardinals. The team offered the team tickets to come out and watch the game against the Kansas City Royals.
During the eighth inning, one of SFA’s players floated the idea of going up the bleachers in right field and wave their shirts around. Many were hesitant, but eventually a dozen or so went up and started the movement. Nearby fans took notice, and in the matter of time the group of less than 20 grew to over four full shirtless sections.
The "Tarps Off" Institutionalization
The Cardinals, fueled by the yelling and shirtless fans, rallied to beat the Royals in extra innings by way of a walk-off hit from catcher Yohel Pozo. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol loved the energy so much that he bought the tickets in that section for the following two games and created the “Tarps Off” section at Busch Stadium. A section dedicated to half-naked chanting and cheering.
This story went national, with posts on TikTok. X and Instagram flooded timelines, and the “Tarps Off” movement regained its momentum after a long winter. The branding strategy of the movement reached every corner of the league. Seattle Mariners fans went tarps off during a game against the White Sox. Phillies fans participated in a downpour in Philadelphia. Tigers fans followed in Detroit. In Houston, in Arizona, and many more teams have joined. By June, the trend had become, in the words of one outlet, "remarkably mainstream."
Business Implications and Attendance Spikes
And for the MLB, they aren’t complaining. Attendance at games has averaged roughly 1,000 more fans per game in 2026 than the prior year, and if this trend holds, baseball could average 30,000 fans per game for the first time since 2016. Whether "Tarps Off" is responsible or just a colorful symptom of an attendance spike, it's the kind of free energy that money can't buy. This branding identity is something franchises are increasingly eager to embrace.
Whether “Tarps Off” continues its dominance across major sports in 2026 is yet to be seen, but for MLB fans and college students all over the country, the energy, the fire, and the money that comes along with these organizations is something everyone should enjoy.
By AJ Hammerle
AJ Hammerle is a leading sports business journalist covering the intersection of fan culture, branding identity, and stadium innovation. With a background in collegiate athletics and sports media news, Hammerle brings a unique perspective to the evolving landscape of professional and amateur sports.