It’s what we do to start the game; it’s what we do between quarters, at halftime, on third-down conversions and when scoring touchdowns; it is what we do that makes us proud of our university and our team. It sets us apart from everyone else in our league and gives us a unique brand of who we are and all that we stand for. It is called tradition (a state of mind, a state of inner being and an outer manifestation of emotional spirit) or simply “pride and joy”.
Whether you show your devotion to a varsity team with the clothes you wear or the gear you amass over time, the truth is that all fans should be aware of at best a handful of the many traditions that are upheld. on campus or at the football stadium. From adrenaline rushes to chills, from moments of solitude and silence to moments of deafening chants and stadium rumblings, there isn’t a college campus or college stadium where you won’t find a steadfast and enthusiastic student body or fan base. involved.
Speaking of stadium noise, this is reminiscent of a Metallica favorite. The Virginia Tech Hokies are known for their explosive “Enter Sandman” entrance onto the football field as the crowd jumps up and down as the music fills the air, causing a roaring effect throughout the stadium. If you’re a fan of college sports and haven’t been to Lane Stadium for this experience, put it on your bucket list. Representative school mascots of live animals accompany their team to the field as Uga, the bulldog from the University of Georgia and Ralphie, the enormous buffalo from the University of Colorado. Warriors like Tommy Trojan and the Travelers from the University of Southern California and Chief Osceola riding a beautiful Appaloosa with a flaming spear take center stage to begin their performance on the field.
Others may rub their hands for good luck with significant chips or token structures before leaving the team tunnel or setting foot on the playing field, such as Clemson University’s Howard’s Rock and University of Maryland’s Terrapin. Infamous arm movements like the University of Florida’s notorious alligator bite and hand gestures symbolizing megaphones for the South Florida Bulls and Texas Longhorns, or bursting out chants like “We Are… Marshall” or “Let’s Go” … tigers”! And then there’s a bit of history to highlight in things like Georgia Tech’s “Ramblin’ Wreck” and Oklahoma’s “Sooner Schooner.” Regardless of what any college or university embraces with tradition, those values introduce a deeper inner feeling of pride and energetic exuberance.
Invariably, the acts of the traditions are not limited to fight songs, school sports colors, game day chants, body movements, team spirit cheers, and scoring rituals, but they are sure to be learned and carried out by newcomers. faithfully game by game, year after. years and decades to come. Many times, countless traditions seem to have been magically, or accidentally, invented in the heat of the moment with no real reason or purpose in mind. They may have started as an unintentional moment of playful expression, sometimes even perpetrated as some sort of joke. Whether it’s coincidence or persistence, these college sentiments have all the right things inhabiting the hearts and minds of students and parents, fans and spectators, players and coaches, staff and faculty members to the point where one can hear. say: “The color orange is in my blood” or “I bleed purple”. You can’t get any closer to the heart than that.