iaam exclusive
As you approach a football stadium a tremendous feeling of anxiety will start to flow through your body. There’s something about the tailgating, smell of hot dogs, and sense of competition that gets your blood pumping like nothing else. You are entering an atmosphere that contains chaotic fans, well-planned chants, and tradition so rich it makes
Athletic competition is the greatest form of live entertainment we as Americans have to rely on (don’t worry I refuse to discuss the impending possibility of an NFL lockout, which makes me cringe). What is it about us sports fans that allows us to rationalize paying up to $8,000 for a Super Bowl ticket? What do we love so much about each team, arena, city, and player? While no one person (even myself) is capable of answering these questions, there is one thing that continues to be overlooked in this country; live college football.
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX, Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL, and Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA all have one thing in common; they’re all different. From the “Hook’em Horns” chant to the infamous Penn State white-out, every college football stadium around the country has its own unique agenda. Like people, stadiums possess characteristics, age, and size. Some are developing teenagers (Rutgers Stadium, home to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights- created in 1994), while others are more along the lines of a sophisticated grandfather that gets better with age (“The Horseshoe,” home to the Ohio State Buckeyes- created in 1922).
“College fans create a united, single voice cheering on their team that provides that extra unique element,” says Melissa Gold, founder of Gold Standard PR and University of Texas alum. Gold attends games on a regular basis in Austin, TX and knows the feeling of pride all too well. “I always get chills sitting in the stands at a UT game with 100,000 other fans clad in burnt orange, arms raised with hands forming the Hook 'em sign while half the stadium shouts ‘TEXAS’ followed by the other half
echoing ‘FIGHT!’”
Texas isn’t the only place where 100,000 plus fans can shout all at once. “The atmosphere is electrifying. It kind of gives you goosebumps,” is what Penn State grad and current Lehigh University Women’s Basketball Sports Information Director, Greg Kincaid said about the Nittany Lions’ whiteout. “It makes the stadium feel three times bigger than it really is. It makes it very difficult at times to focus on the game.”
Now I want you to raise your hand if you have been to a professional sporting event (NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.) and have been distracted by the entire crowd to the point where it was difficult to watch the game… (Crickets)… See my point?
College is a time for young adults to learn, grow, and mature because after all, college students are the future of this country. Football in college for some student-athletes is a tool they use to enhance their skills for the professional ranks, but for most it’s simply something to do while working toward their degree in accounting or architectural design. Although the players play for different reasons, the fans attend the games for one unified purpose; go to a game and find out for yourself.
Sports fan and Success seeker
Doug Potter
