Goal: To thoroughly experience gameday at every FBS college football stadium. STADIUM COUNT: 113/134
Heinz Field: Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Panthers. Typically, I am fervently against universities that choose to play their home games in a pro stadium. Shifting the action off campus robs gameday of the authentic pageantry that makes college football special. However, Pittsburgh makes it work. The Panther football program has enough tradition, fan following, and connection with the city to keep the Pitt magic alive.
Doyt L. Perry Stadium, fondly named “The Doyt,” is the home of Bowling Green football. The construction is rather typical for a Middle American Conference arena. It’s small, yet cozy and certainly comes with devoted fans, making this place uninviting for visitors. In 2007, they tore out the north grandstand and made room for the modern and impressive Sebo Athletic Center, which houses offices, locker rooms, band seating and luxury suites. This newer addition clashes somewhat with the original structure that completes the rest of the stadium. But, the charm of “The Doyt” still remains.
One of the hot topics of the 2014 football season has been the collapse of the Big Ten conference. No team was able to win the marquee games of the nonconference season, and worse yet, they have been losing games that should have been walks in the park. Last week for instance, two Mid-American Conference foes upset Big Ten teams when Northern Illinois toppled Northwestern and Central Michigan clobbered Purdue.
Surely, this week would be better, right?
The College Football Tour tailgate was surrounded by hues of Husky red and Wildcat purple…and swarms of bees. If NU was playing Georgia Tech, we could chalk it up to irony. Instead, it was plain annoying. However, it didn’t sting our enthusiasm on this gorgeous day in Evanston for the battle of “Who’s the best in Illinois?” With the Fighting Illini struggling for relevancy and the Wildcats scrambling to crawl out of the losing-streak quicksand they put themselves into last year, Northern Illinois has surfaced at the top with an opportunity today to make it official.
Continue reading “Game 217: Northern Illinois @ Northwestern”
Any college football fan is proud of Michigan Stadium. It is the largest football stadium in the world with a capacity of 109,901. However, most games surpass 110,000.
2007. Opening Day. Ann Arbor, Michigan. FCS member and largely unheard of against the fifth ranked powerhouse Wolverines. The game began with hope and anticipation for a championship season for Michigan and ended with the biggest upset in college football history. That game changed the trajectory of both programs, mostly for the Mountaineers.
There are certain gems along the college football landscape, and one of the finest sits amongst the urban sprawl of Atlanta. The Georgia Institute of Technology houses the oldest active stadium in the sport. Open in 1913, Bobby Dodd Stadium has hosted some of college football’s most memorable moments and historic sports figures. The stadium’s namesake, Bobby Dodd, is celebrated for his high levels of success. The coach of the year trophy is named after him. Coach John Heisman (yes, THAT Heisman) is so revered that his name now adorns one of sports’ most coveted trophies.
Continue reading “GEORGIA TECH – BOBBY DODD STADIUM at HISTORIC GRANT FIELD”
What’s the good word? Yell this around Georgia Tech and you are likely to hear in response, “To HELL with georgia!” This phrase is as common as “Hello” around campus. It wouldn’t even matter if the Yellow Jackets were playing the Bulldogs – damning Georgia is a full time job. This is one of the more underrated rivalries across the country. It’s a classic “nerds against jocks” battle. Lately the Georgia Jocks have owned this matchup, but both teams came in today at equal strength with identical records. Georgia would have to deal without their superstar, QB Aaron Murray. He was replaced by the very capable Hutson Mason, but RB Todd Gurley would have to carry a larger load.
Passion for football in the south does not solely reside inside the cavernous stadiums of the SEC. The tiny town of Troy, Alabama is proof of this fact. Game days begin with the Trojan marching band, The Sound of the South, gathering on the open green outside Veteran’s Memorial Stadium. Fans converge upon this spot to hear this active and talented band preview the upcoming halftime show. The band and fans then work together to form a tunnel leading the Trojan football team into the stadium. T-ROY, the Trojan mascot, along with a host of cheerleaders, greet the coaches and players as they exit their bus and lead the team through the band and the fans who stretch on their tiptoes to catch a glimpse. The band stays and entertains a while longer after the team enters their locker room and game day is officially underway.
A warm late November day graced the town of Troy, Alabama as fans gathered for the Trojans’ final game of the season. The open space outside Veterans Memorial Stadium swelled with folks anxiously awaiting their team’s arrival to the stadium. Troy’s marching band, The Sound of the South, formed a lane for the team to be welcomed in style. T-ROY, the Trojan mascot, along with a host of cheerleaders greeted legendary coach, Larry Blankney, off the bus and led the team through the band and the fans stretching on their tiptoes to catch a glimpse. The band stayed and entertained a while longer after the team entered their locker room and game day had officially kicked off.