By Lacey Okamura
Staff Writer
Recently, I experienced my first Big Ten college football game at Rutgers University. The night started with a “boardwalk” full of food trucks, entertainment, athletes and even a petting zoo. Fans roared as the players took to the field, with music blaring and fireworks shooting across the arena. The halftime show was electrifying, featuring drones and a glowing marching band that created impressive formations, including a sandcastle and the shape of New Jersey itself. The crowd was thrilling, the dance team’s outfits glowed in the dark and the game ended in a nail-biting win for the team.
Does this sound familiar? If you’ve only ever attended a football game at the College, then probably not. I would venture to say that most people have not actually attended a game. As someone who has attended every single home game, and stayed the entire time for the past three years, I think more people should attend our games.
The main aspect the football games are lacking, other than a $100 million dollar budget, are fans. Student sections bring a different kind of energy to the game. If the College had a dedicated student section, students might be more inclined to attend. While families have been doing a great job of supporting the team, students chanting and cheering would hype up the players much more than grandma and grandpa.
Whether you are a football fan or not, everyone loves the game-day atmosphere. Tailgating is an essential part of this, with fans setting up hours before a game to have a drink, grill burgers and play cornhole.
If the school promoted tailgating, and hosted their own organized version for students, I think a lot more people would attend. Students who are usually holed up in their dorms or head home to do laundry on weekends would have a compelling reason to stay on campus to participate in these activities.
Our football games may not have the pregame entertainment or fireworks after a touchdown, but they definitely have the spirit and athleticism. Three of the College’s spirit squads, the dance team, cheer team and pep band, attend every home game. Dance and cheer stand sideline on both ends of the field while the pep band plays from the bleachers. There is a halftime performance at every game, the biggest one being Homecoming, when the dance and cheer teams perform an epic stunt-filled routine.
I’ll admit that the reason I’ve been to every home game is because I am on the dance team, but I would still attend even if I wasn’t required. The game itself is just as enjoyable and action-packed as any football game, including D1.
We have a great team, both offensively and defensively, so you’ll want to stay focused the entire time. An advantage of the smaller field compared to arenas is the intimate setting keeps the crowd more engaged and aware of the action. You can see every play, every tackle, every catch, and the effort and grit the players maintain.
Even if I haven’t managed to convince you that the games can be fun, you should still give them a chance. Our students get in for free with ID, and if you were planning to spend all day in the library or your dorm, a live football game is a much more exciting way to spend a Saturday.
