What is your school's best game day tradition?

[TboneCat]

I can't get football off the brain today.

What are things that when you know someone is going to a game for the first time that you tell them they have to see?


For Montana State the last few years it has been to catch the Bobcat Prowl, the band, cheerleaders and Champ all lead the team from the field house to the stadium.

I'm thinking with the quality of game day production and the new scoreboard the runout of the team right before the game starts with the run out video might be one that is also seen as a can't miss.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Playing in an indoor arena has it's perks. This is pretty thrilling.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUJkSu6AY60

Oh yeah, and apparently we love to ruin the national anthem. It seems to piss the rednecks off quite a bit.

[KNUTS]

Winning?!

[pleahy1]

The big tradition at GSU is the honking horns and car alarms (pretty much anything that makes noise) when the team buses get to the stadium, but they also need to witness the GSU Scramble. Also, Freedom the Eagle Flying


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhXc6r8vdMQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aumHQdmiHxU

[SFA 93]

http://sfajacks.cstv.com/trads/sasu-trads.html

[813Jag]

For Southern:
1. tailgating, i know everybody says their the best but we can hold our own on the bluff.
2. the human jukebox marching band. from their entrance to their exit they put on a show.
3. fans waving pom-poms, twirling umbrellas, and dancing when "do what cha wanna" is played after tds.
4. cheerleaders doing a lap around the track with the flag after scores.
5. watching the visitors cram into one section in mumford xlolx

[Silenoz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR-RQSntePk

[ursus arctos horribilis]

The Tailgates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK9wDQiWsv4

The Bands March down tailgate row about an hour before the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GueIMXR7fhI&feature=related

Silvertips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC0hkg8WMAk

Monte

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfxGUAT5NM8

Then the tunnel run.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YlCEEP1NgQ

Oh, and the game and all the entertainment that goes on during it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hGeGVEMQrg

and then downtown after the game and all the bars loaded to the gills.

[MSUDuo]

Sucking at playing football ..

[TheBisonator]

For Southern:
1. tailgating, i know everybody says their the best but we can hold our own on the bluff.
2. the human jukebox marching band. from their entrance to their exit they put on a show.
3. fans waving pom-poms, twirling umbrellas, and dancing when "do what cha wanna" is played after tds.
4. cheerleaders doing a lap around the track with the flag after scores.
5. watching the visitors cram into one section in mumford xlolx

I wish all the major/mid-sized universities had marching bands like the HBCUs have. The non-HBC bands seem dull and lack flair in too many cases.

NDSU's Gold Star Marching Band tries really hard, and I don't think we're dull by any means, but I think what gives our band a good identity is all the obscure popular songs they play in between plays. Not a lot of other bands have mastered "Blister In The Sun" and the A-Team theme.

[clenz]

Sucking at playing football ..

About the only thing MSU does well/consistent

[AppMan]

ASU's Band of Distinction playing the Bugler's Dream (Olympic Theme) prior to every App kickoff. Been doing it since the early 70's. There was a period of time when a certain director began playing it for every kickoff, but when he left tradition was restored and it is only to be played when ASU kicks off.

[Apphole]

ASU's Band of Distinction playing the Bugler's Dream (Olympic Theme) prior to every App kickoff. Been doing it since the early 70's. There was a period of time when a certain director began playing it for every kickoff, but when he left tradition was restored and it is only to be played when ASU kicks off.

Don't forget arms raised in the direction of the kick, jumping up and down and screaming. The sound crescendos until the ball is kicked.

They call us the outdoor version of the Cameron Crazies.

[AppMan]

Don't forget arms raised in the direction of the kick, jumping up and down and screaming. The sound crescendos until the ball is kicked.

They call us the outdoor version of the Cameron Crazies.

Originally arms were pointed in the direction of the kick and pumped back and forth (like the Tomahawk Chop) to the beat of the tune then held pointing towards the endzone on the final note as your hand wiggled back and forth quickly... until the reciever caught the kick.

[WileECoyote06]

A relatively new tradition, but I love it. The fourth quarter fanfare. . . the NCCU rift! It's loud! It's defiant! It's arrogant! And I've seen them play it for the entire quarter; especially if our team needs a boost.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRh4HOq2IjM

[Big Dawg]

This is how the Marching 100 enters the field before every home game...pretty nice tradition at FAMU games...too bad we won't get to see it this year


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3TKOr6WLpo

[BlueHenSinfonian]

The University of Delaware Marching Band has a tradition of marching through the parkings lots filled with tailgating fans before each game playing the school songs and bits of the halftime show before finally marching under the stadium playing the fight song on the way to line up for pre-game. From what I understand construction on campus has limited the scope of the pre-game parade the last couple years, but hopefully it returns intact.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEl7Fq_o8KU&feature=related

During the third quarter the brass section leaves the rest of the band and runs around the stadium, including up and down the very steep stands, playing Bozo (for the Tubas) and First Down (everyone else) for the fans, plans serenading random groups of fans underneath the stands here and there. Unfortunately I can't find any good video of this.

[ngineer]

At Lehigh our student run marching band, The Marching 97, parade throughout the tailgating lots serenading the fans with various Lehigh fight song medleys. And, the traditional halftime closing number of the "Marching LEHIGH" as the band marches into the southern endzone and coming our spelling LEHIGH while playing "Down the Field", then singing the last stanza. The drum major still does the traditional "cake walk" in leading the band down the field. It's a great tradition and treasured, as Lehigh is the only school in the Patriot League with an actual marching band. Some have small pep bands that stand and play in front of the stands at the half, but the Marching 97 does nothing but marching while playing and creating various geometric shapes on the field and some occasional 'spell outs'. What's really cool is that the organization is student run with the routines all planned out by the students and virtually all not being music majors but engineering, business and arts & science majors.

[ngineer]

This is how the Marching 100 enters the field before every home game...pretty nice tradition at FAMU games...too bad we won't get to see it this year


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3TKOr6WLpo

Always a great show. I hope the house gets put back in order down there. I'd love for us to get a game with FAMU just to see your band.

[clenz]

This is how the Marching 100 enters the field before every home game...pretty nice tradition at FAMU games...too bad we won't get to see it this year


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3TKOr6WLpo

Holy ****ing ****....get on the ****ing field and play your damn songs...

[blueballs]

The big tradition at GSU is the honking horns and car alarms (pretty much anything that makes noise) when the team buses get to the stadium, but they also need to witness the GSU Scramble. Also, Freedom the Eagle Flying



Freedom's flight is very cool but the first thing I thought of was the yellow school buses and the Valley Song.

[AmsterBison]

The student section dancing to "Wipe Out" is one of my favorites. Did that at least as far back as the early 1980's.

Only video I could find (not their best effort but you can kind of see what they're going for):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIc1l-pIgSQ&feature=related

[MplsBison]

I wish all the major/mid-sized universities had marching bands like the HBCUs have. The non-HBC bands seem dull and lack flair in too many cases.

NDSU's Gold Star Marching Band tries really hard, and I don't think we're dull by any means, but I think what gives our band a good identity is all the obscure popular songs they play in between plays. Not a lot of other bands have mastered "Blister In The Sun" and the A-Team theme.

No offense, but I'd rather be known as the school with a really good team that has an OK marching band than the school with a really good band and an OK team.

Let's remember why people come to the stadium in the first place, here.



That said, the only gameday tradition that matters is the tunnel walk team intro that Bohl brought over from Nebraska. It's awesome every time you see it.

[frozennorth]

UND's best one is probably where the students leave after tailgating.

[WileECoyote06]

No offense, but I'd rather be known as the school with a really good team that has an OK marching band than the school with a really good band and an OK team.

Let's remember why people come to the stadium in the first place, here.



That said, the only gameday tradition that matters is the tunnel walk team intro that Bohl brought over from Nebraska. It's awesome every time you see it.

I don't necessarily agree with the sentiment, but for many HBCUs the band is more important than the team. As long as we continue to have severe gender imbalances (except at the engineering schools), I don't see this changing any time soon.

[GAD]

I don't necessarily agree with the sentiment, but for many HBCUs the band is more important than the team. As long as we continue to have severe gender imbalances (except at the engineering schools), I don't see this changing any time soon.
It's not even close to the truth, when schools like Southern & Jackson State have good teams we will lead the nation in attendance but when the teams are mediocre those numbers drop off, people come here for football

[carney2]

Lafayette loses. Not a cherished tradition, but we've become quite good at it.

[813Jag]

It's not even close to the truth, when schools like Southern & Jackson State have good teams we will lead the nation in attendance but when the teams are mediocre does numbers drop off, people come here for football
totally agree, folks love a good team with the band as a bonus.

[Apphole]

The Stink has a pretty cool tradition. When every Stink player walks on to the field, they each take turns making out with that statue of unmasked Darth Vador. Each French kiss lasts about 30 seconds. The more tongue the better. They then run to the bench and sit down immediately so no one notices their chubby.

[Redbird Ray]

Drinking in parking lots and not actually attending the football game is probably the most common tradition at Illinois State. That and complaining about Illinois State not being a Big 10 school.

ISU doesn't really have any really awesome or unique traditions, but some of the old classic standbys always make me happy.

Band marching from their practice facility to the stadium (we have one of the nation's largest marching bands). Seeing our cheap felt mascot ride around on the "victory bell" wagon, which is pushed into the stadium each game by a different greek house. Drowning our sorrows at Pub II, Firehouse, and BrewHa's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9caPyyCnlM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiJnPkPdMKU&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLC38B7041B281933D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEO8JDHQXUc&feature=relmfu

[Bogus Megapardus]

Lafayette loses. Not a cherished tradition, but we've become quite good at it.

I hasten to differ. Lafayette's most cherished traditions are the Lafayette-Lehigh game, and the fact that we have spent 140-plus years earning the luxury of playing the most noted Ivy schools (Harvard, Yale, Penn, Princeton) at home, year in and year out.

"Losing" is neither a tradition nor an accomplishment on College Hill, as you suggest. Rather, it is (when it occurs) a consequence of scheduling, historically, well above our apparent means and size, and of enthusiastically welcoming the resulting challenge. I might accept your view more readily should Lafayette's all-time record some day fall below .500, but not until then.

Since that won't happen in my lifetime, or yours, I'm not inclined at present to worry about it.

[HailSzczur]

Football isn't as tradition rich like basketball is, but here we go.

The biggest tradition is the fight song, V for Villanova. It's played every time the team takes or leaves the field, and after every TD. I always enjoyed the fact that the band starts playing it as soon as we score, plays softly during the PAT, and then full volume after.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzDt_JvMkUQ&feature=player_detailpage

After every score the cheerleaders run around the goalpost with the flags and do push ups for every point we've scored.

Then there's the usually painful scramble band halftime show. Part of the tradition there is the garbled sounds that come from the PA system while some band geek reads off corny jokes only they think are funny. Every show ends with the alma mater, which leads to our family's personal tradition of yelling "SONS" when the spot in the song comes up where they changed loyal sons of Villanova to Loyal heirs

[HailSzczur]

During the third quarter the brass section leaves the rest of the band and runs around the stadium, including up and down the very steep stands, playing Bozo (for the Tubas) and First Down (everyone else) for the fans, plans serenading random groups of fans underneath the stands here and there. Unfortunately I can't find any good video of this.

You don't know how tempting it is to trip them as the scramble on by, especially the sousaphones. I find it cool the first time, but after a quarter of having a trumpet blaring in ear I get pretty pissed off.

[GOODY26]

Norfolk State Marching Legion passing in review


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPoKum1lSu4&feature=player_detailpage

[eaglewraith]

The Stink has a pretty cool tradition. When every Stink player walks on to the field, they each take turns making out with that statue of unmasked Darth Vador. Each French kiss lasts about 30 seconds. The more tongue the better. They then run to the bench and sit down immediately so no one notices their chubby.

Aww that's cute. You're jealous of us honoring a coach who was a real legend, not one that lets his son **** up his football team :)

[GAD]

For Southern:
1. tailgating, i know everybody says their the best but we can hold our own on the bluff.
2. the human jukebox marching band. from their entrance to their exit they put on a show.
3. fans waving pom-poms, twirling umbrellas, and dancing when "do what cha wanna" is played after tds.
4. cheerleaders doing a lap around the track with the flag after scores.
5. watching the visitors cram into one section in mumford xlolx

I love #3 the stadium looks like the worlds biggest block party

[HailSzczur]

Norfolk State Marching Legion passing in review


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPoKum1lSu4&feature=player_detailpage

I love when a school brings an actual marching band to Villanova Stadium, its such a breath of fresh air compared to the scramble crap we have and that Lehigh and Penn always bring. Norfolk was definitely the best band I've ever seen come into our stadium. We were lucky in 2000 with Millersville PA and then NSU coming to play for us

[melloware13]

I love when a school brings an actual marching band to Villanova Stadium, its such a breath of fresh air compared to the scramble crap we have and that Lehigh and Penn always bring. Norfolk was definitely the best band I've ever seen come into our stadium. We were lucky in 2000 with Millersville PA and then NSU coming to play for us

We used to come up, until a certain incident involving a mascot and a snare drummer

[seantaylor]

Freedom flying. And Frost on the pumpkins

[coover]

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Cal Poly and Fresno State were both D II and played in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Athletically, there was no love between the two schools. Prior to a game at Poly, Fresno St fans would always come to Poly and attempt to, somehow, embarass the local fans. For example, on a hill high above the Poly campus is a large concrete "P" painted white. Fresno students would invariable attempt to cover a portion of the "P" with dirt to make it appear to be an "F". And there were other pranks that Poly students had to watch for year after year.

One of Fresno State's primary colors is Red. So, at that time, it was traditional at all Poly home football games, it made no difference who was the opponent, to "punish" any fan that entered the Cal Poly section wearing red by literally picking them up at the bottom of the stadium and passing them overhead all the way to the top. They were then ejected from the stadium and not allowed back until they were "properly" dressed.

I am not aware when this "tradition" ended, but it probably was when Fresno State left the CCAA and went Division I.

I suspect that the tradition today would be banned. Too bad, it was fun, and as far as I know, nobody was ever hurt.

[Big Dawg]

How could I forget...you will hear this at EVERY FAMU home game..."You must always remember...the Rattlers will Strike, Strike, and Strike again!!!"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWMVhCGIDjM

[BR54Niner]

What's a "game day"?