We played aginst a highschool team,who pretty much does the same thing. They take a real Tiger Cub with them on road trips and is oviously at all the home games. Its Massilon high school in Massilon, ohio they play on turf and the stadium holds around 50,000 and if you play there their side is completely full. Chris Speillman graduated from there
heres a video...I was wrong about the stadium holding 50,000. Guess it just looked like 50,000 people there when i was 16 lol. If you watch this you might want to mute the sound
@RedAL925 I'm curious, what's going on at games up at UConn? Previously, I thought Michigan had a home/home with UConn, but I guess not? What's a football game like up there?
Au contraire mon frere. Michigan will be coming to Connecticut September 2013. A football game in Connecticut is probably nothing like you've ever experienced before. The fans are not passionate, they get to the stadium late and leave the game early, the stadium itself is in the middle of an abandoned airfield, and it's a 30 min drive from campus. I'll do my best to break it down.... THE FANS: In Connecticut, we're all about winning. If our teams don't win, we don't show up (see: Hartford Whalers). This is particularly hard for UConn Football, as we have only been a D-1 program for 12 years. We don't have an established history of winning, or any unique fan culture aspects to our name. At this point in our short history, fans are coming to the game mainly to tailgate. They come into the stadium late, and leave early. It's not uncommon for the stadium to be virtually empty midway through the 4th quarter in a blowout (for or against). THE STADIUM: Rentschler Field was built in East Hartford, CT. UConn's main campus is in Storrs. That's a 30 min drive for students. The decision was a function of multiple issues, including a central location, selling alcohol at the stadium and traffic concerns (Storrs is in the middle of nowhere, there's pretty much one main road to get there). The 40,000 seat stadium is pretty generic, with no real quirks or super amenities. TRADITIONS: Probably the most 'iconic' tradition we have is the U-C-O-N-N chant after touchdowns. Other than that, we don't really have any. They've started a few recently, such as the 'Husky Walk', in which the team gets off the buses at one gate and walk to the locker rooms at another gate. Pretty uninspiring stuff. They also started gathering the team after the game to sing the fight song right before they go into the locker rooms, but again, the stadium is practically empty by then. I hate painting such a grim picture, but it's reality. Unless the game is close and engaging, it's not a great experience. Over time, I hope our fans will learn from schools like Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame, etc. and be real fans. But I don't see that happening in the near future. After all, we are a basketball school...
Nice work... I plan to come up to check it out in 2013... I have friends in Connecticut (Michigan fans too btw)...
I did forget to mention one thing. Jasper Howard was murdered on campus in 2009. He was a promising CB with NFL talent. It was an unthinkable tragedy for that to happen at all, let alone at a place where I and many others had spent 4 years of our lives. At the Fiesta Bowl, teammate and friend Kashif Moore decided that he would wear the #6 in honor of 'Jazz'. Nothing official has been released, but it seems like the #6 will be worn by a player who best represents Jasper's personality and character. His motto, "Play each play like it's the last play you'll ever play' has also been adopted by the team.
Well....since you asked... Gameday starts out with a few hours of tailgaiting before we all head into beautiful Clemson Memorial Stadium aka Death Valley. Death Valley seats around 82k so it's no slouch. That's when the Clemson tradition starts and it all comes to a head with Howard's Rock. Howard's rock is one of the longest traditions in college sports. It came from legendary Clemson coach Frank Howard when he recieved a huge rock from the Grand Canyon. Not very impressed he used it as a door stop to his office for years until he realized that he could motivate his players with it. (Now stolen from Wikipedia) On September 24, 1966, the first time Clemson players ran by the rock, they beat conference rival Virginia, 40-35.[8] Howard, seizing on the motivational potential of "The Rock", told his players, "Give me 110% or keep your filthy hands off of my rock."[2] The team started rubbing the Rock for the first game of 1967, which was a 23-6 waxing of ACC foe Wake Forest. [1] In 1992, students from the University of South Carolina broke into the stadium and tried to steal the rock. Although they were not successful in the attempt, the vandals did damage the exterior of Howard's Rock. It is now a tradition for the Clemson Army ROTC to "protect" the Rock for the 24 hours prior to the Clemson-South Carolina game when held in Death Valley. ROTC cadets keep a steady drum cadence around the rock prior to the game, which can be heard across the campus. If you boot up your NCAA 11 copy right now and play Clemson at home you can see the players rubbing the rock...I love it! The second tradition is Running Down The Hill. The hill used to only be a spot where students sat to watch the game, but the way the stadium was first built it was also the only way for the players to actually enter the field. The cannons sound. Tiger Rag plays, and the ballons fly. It's just beautiful. This became one of College Football's most exciting traditions. Brent Musenburger has called it "The Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football" and no Video will do it justice but i'll try Clemson is 227-88-7 at Death Valley, over 71% winning percentage. Clemson has ranked in the top 20 in the nation in average attendance 22 consecutive seasons Clemson and Death Valley hold the record for the second loudest outside sporting event in the world with a noise level of 126 decibels, they set the record against Miami in 2005 (first place at the time) Some quotes: "Death Valley really lives up to its image. I was impressed with this stadium. When you put 80,000 people in there, it really feels like they are on top of you. I would hate to be Georgia Tech or whoever else comes in here." San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Steve Young "I came here knowing it would be loud and that Clemson would hit me hard, but to me, the noise was the biggest factor. I know I didn't concentrate as well because of it." Herschel Walker after Clemson's 13-3 victory in 1981, his only regular season loss at Georgia "I remember being nervous before the game because there were 80,000 people dressed in orange. It's intimidating. I even threw up before the game. It's the only time I've ever done that." Former Duke Quarterback Dave Brown "Running down the hill is still talked about everywhere I go. Players who played against Clemson when I was in college remember us running the hill and thinking we would gain some type of spirit. The adrenalin rush was unbelievable for a Clemson player and quite a shock for the opponent." Former Clemson All-American Jerry Butler "There is no place louder or more picturesque than Death Valley. There, where Clemson folks see magic in a hill and a rock, orange gets more respect than anywhere this side of Gainesville, Florida." Terence Moore, Atlanta Constitution Okay i'm done. Sorry
Also, how could I forget The Paw? It has been the school's logo for ages now. Many highschools use a variation of the logo for their teams but Clemson is the only one who has this particular one. Since it's trademarked. This paw is a actual tiger paw molded from a Bengal Tiger in a St. Louis Zoo. The marking in the bottom left of the paw is the one that only Clemson can use. Highschools etc use one that's filled in.
With some of the new schools we've added here to The Pride, I'm very interested to learn more about your schools and the traditions on game day or related to the football program. Teach us a little something about your schools County5, TJM, KnightNoles
Penn State football, according to Sports Illustrated, is the best college football gameday location and also dubbed by SI as "The Greatest Show in College Sports." Penn State has also won numerous awards for having the #1 tailgating in the country, on gameday turning State College-University Park into the 3rd largest municipal in PA behind Philly and Pittsburgh. The experience from a couple days before gameday on down to the recoveries of Sunday, from the campers, buses, and RVs rollin in a couple days before usually on Thursday and starting to set up and tailgating to the students setting up Paternoville(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqU3-N3tGqE) Late Sunday-Early Monday. Penn State's Beaver Stadium is the 2nd largest capacity sports stadium in the nation, only behind Big Ten member Michigan, seating near 107,300. From downtown SC to the plane jane Blue Buses, which bring the players to Beaver Stadium from up the rode Lasch Football building (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYtgPirR7Cs) and the Blue Band heading into the stadium from nearbye Bryce Jordan Center (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOBhn3fLgMc). Then the pre-game festives, watching JoePa chat it up with players, being in the tunnel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN6SCrU681o )where fans pile in to catch glimpses of the players and JoePa walking by (and prob. of some of the cheerleaders) knowing theirs 110,000 people out there ready to get wild , the Blue Band (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdyPwrRbal0), the Drum Major Flips (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIMQvHUF5YQ), The Nittany Lion (who gets a full ride to PSU), Fight Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIb8Nob_IfU), Hail to the Lion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdL01bQKKbU), Alma Mater (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5moJeMI4AV4&feature=related), Rock N Roll and JoePa leading the team out onto the field (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNpT42AclgY), and then We Are Penn State (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvLKszZAx4Y) Then there is the game which is what it is all about and includes a pretty loud and supposedly tough atmosphere. The White Out, Yuengling, Buffalo Dip, and the numerous drinking devices that the PSU student engineers develop are not to bad either. Heres some additional gameday traditions: "The whiteout/white house: Fans are asked to wear white for a big game, usually for a night contest against a name opponent. The result is one of the coolest crowd visuals you'll ever see. We are ... Penn State cheer: It's one of the most recognizable cheers in all of college football, as one group of fans (usually students) yells "We are!" and gets answered with "Penn State!" Zombie Nation: There aren't many earthquakes in central Pennsylvania, but the stadium shakes every time Zombie Nation comes on the loud speakers. Fans even incorporate the "We are ... Penn State" chant into it. Other Beaver Stadium songs: Penn State's in-game entertainment is second to none, and fans go nuts as songs like "Don't Stop Believin'," "Sweet Caroline," "Hey, Baby" and "Livin' on a Prayer" are piped into the stadium. Tailgreat: The Penn State marching band holds its final rehearsal several hours before kickoff, marching from its building to the Bryce Jordan Center. The cheerleaders, dance team and Penn State notables attend the performance. Paternoville: Students set up tents and camp out next to Gate A so they can secure prime seats in the student section for games. Head coach Joe Paterno, assistants and players usually stop by throughout game weeks. Students will camp out the entire week before big games. Drum-major flip: Since 1971, drum majors for the Blue Band have done flips at games. The two front flips take place during the band's pregame performance and delight the crowd. Nittany Lion crowd surf: Penn State's Lion mascot surfs through the student section toward the top of the stadium. S-zone student section: The seniors' area of the student section forms a giant 'S' that can be seen around the stadium and looks great on TV. Victory Bell: The bell, which returned to Beaver Stadium in 2009 after a 20-year absence, is sounded after Penn State victories. Former coach Rip Engle first brought in the bell as a way for students to welcome back football players after away games. " Some other things to note about PSU football: Joe Paternos Grand Experiment (also known as "Success with Honor" - Idea in melding athletics and academics in the collegiate environment, an idea that he had learned during his years at Brown. As a result, Penn State's players have consistently demonstrated above-average academic success compared to Division I-A schools nationwide. According to the NCAA's 2008 Graduation Rates Report, Penn State's four-year Graduation Success Rate of 78% easily exceeds the 67%Division I average, second to only Northwestern among Big Ten institutions. Penn State is one of a few major D1 schools to never have received a major violation (along with I believe, BC, Stanford, and 1 or two other schools I can not remember). Joe Paterno is god-like. Penn State has had seven undefeated, untied seasons in its history since the program started in 1887: 1887 • 1912 • 1968 • 1969 • 1973 • 1986 • 1994 Penn State shouldve been crowned national champions or co-national champions in each of these years but was only crowned mythical NC in 1982 (not an undefeated season) and 1986. Penn State is known as Linebacker U Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993. They were an independent prior. Penn State has the 2nd highest bowl win percentage, with Joe Paterno as the winningest bowl coach, also having won every major bowl. We have no solid rivalry. Pitt was in the past, but was really one-sided in favor is PSU. No team logos, conference logos, numbers, or other stickers are permitted on the helmet, though two Nike logos are on facemask visors that some players choose to wear. Penn State has started to wear bowl decals only starting with 1997 Fiesta Bowl. Before that, Penn State always declined the decals so they can play out of their simple game uniforms. Penn State has 1 heisman trophy winner in 1973 John Capalletti. Cappy has one of the most infamous and memorable Heisman trophy speeches, dedicating the Heisman to his cancer ridden younger brother, Joey. A movie was later made on Johns inspiration for Joey called "Something for Joey."http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YdgWihXJvE I am sure I am missing a lot more. I am a college football junkie, and on my bucket list are visiting many other schools college football atmospheres throughout my lifetime.
Sorry for going off on the tangent above. mmmm...Buffalo dip is a creamy, spicy, chunky goodness made up of hot sauce, shredded chicken, and other stuff such as bleu cheese, cream cheese, other cheeses etc... It is mainly used for chips, pitas, bread, etc..., but you can put it on anything and it makes everything 1000x better...hamburgers, brats, hot dogs, pierogies, its own sandwich (sort of like a bbq pulled pork but with so much more love). I look forward to more gameday love on here. This is my favorite thread on TSO.
Can't figure out how to post pictures on here but there easy to find if you google. Let me say I live about 5 mins walk form the War Memorial Stadium, and have been going to the Home games and some away games most of my life. MY parents both Graduated from Wyoming as did I, and I've hardly lived out side the small city of Laramie. We got a small staduim but it gets loud when a rival comes in. In a transition phase right now with conference reallignment. Said goodbye to long time border rivals Utah and BYU, but are Welcoming Boise State to replace them as the most hated school. We got a hard-core fan base who drink alot, lol, Gamedays are the highlights of the year in my small city. We won a NCAA Championship in Basketball in 1947, and have had recent sucess in bowl games as a football squad. Still looking for a breakout year in the Mountain West conference.
This my friend is some good stuff I had to make some for my lunch last night and I am about to go eat some more right now. Good lookin....
Nice! I usually only eat it in the falls. Its like that anticipation you feel before the season starts or before NCAA comes out, its exciting! lol Lets hear some more school pride traditions!
University of Notre Dame Some of the traditions that surround the university consists of the following.... Every Friday before a home game, a pep rally is held in Notre Dame’s Joyce Center, led by the leprechaun and featuring the football team and coaches, as well as the cheerleaders and band. On gameday morning the team attends mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart In prior years the team would then walk from the Basilica directly to the stadium and fans would line the the pathway to greet the team however in 2011 Coach Brian Kelly altered the route and routine. The team still walks to the stadium but now walks from the Guglielmino Athletics Complex or Gug for short, to the Hesburgh Library and then toward the Stadium in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus. Prior to taking the field, Irish players travel down a stairway to the field and are met with the famous Play Like a Champion Today sign and a list of all prior ND national championships. Originally used at Notre Dame, famed coach Lou Holtz reintroduced the sign in 1986 to act as a motivator for the team and players have been hitting the sign prior to taking the field ever since then. During the game at the start of the 4th quarter the entire crowd at Notre Dame Stadium is sectioned into quarters and join in chanting We Are N D
bcduggan nkmi1984 Nathan Lowe IJGator thegman2.0 majesty95 You new guys and guys who have switched teams are encouraged to post something about your school. Show your PRIDE!!!
Michigan Stadium's official seating capacity has ended with an 01... 0 n e Or more exactly 01, which is what Michigan Stadium's capacity has ended in since the facility was expanded to seat 101,001 in 1956. The "1" in the capacity is an extra seat in honor of Fritz Crisler, the director of athletics at the time.
