9,000 College Students Join Together to Worship Jesus at University of Oklahoma
Thousands of college students gathered in a massive arena on the campus of the University of Oklahoma Tuesday night to lift up the name of Jesus in the latest stop of a growing spiritual awakening that is spreading from campus to campus.
The Unite US event drew nearly 9,000 students in Lloyd Noble Arena who came together to worship and hear an evangelistic message, marking the first stop of a fall tour that will visit six additional campuses before year's end.
"Blown away by what we witnessed tonight at the University of Oklahoma, where close to 9000 students gathered for worship!" the official Unite US Instagram account said.
Unite US launched in 2023 on the campus of Auburn University when some 5,000 students joined together to worship in the school's basketball complex, Neville Arena. The movement then spread to other campuses.
Tonya Prewett is the visionary behind Unite US and recruited several Christian leaders to speak at the events, including Jennie Allen and Jonathan Pokluda.
"I believe that America is set up for the greatest revival our nation has ever seen, and I do believe it's going to happen with Gen Z," Prewett said in 2024 on a podcast describing the movement.
Each Unite US event features notable local voices to invite college students to attend. For example, the official social media pages promoting Unite US Oklahoma included videos from football players Samuel Omosigho (linebacker), Eli Bowen (cornerback), and Michael Hawkins Jr. (quarterback).
It is always a free event.
"I think it's a great opportunity for everybody to come out and build a relationship with the Lord," Hawkins said in the promotional video.
"Come experience God. Come worship with us," Bowen said.
In addition to Oklahoma, Unite US will travel to South Florida (Sept. 25), Tennessee (Sept. 30), Grand Canyon University (Oct. 21), Cincinnati (Nov. 5), North Carolina State (Nov. 11) and Clemson (Nov. 18) this year.
Prewett recalled that when the first event launched at Auburn in 2023, organizers had no idea what to expect. The movement is succeeding, she said, because God is on the move.
"We didn't know if 100 students were coming, we didn't sell tickets, we didn't have registration, and had no idea who would show up -- but we had over 5,000 show up for that first event," she said. "And God really showed us: 'When you take one step of obedience, I take over.'"
WATCH: College Students Spiritual Revival / Unite Nights - Jennie Allen + Tonya Prewett + Jonathan Pokluda
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Hannah Busing
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published September 10, 2025.
