College football game day is a time-consuming activity. Whether you have the privilege of watching it in person or viewing it on TV, there is no other feeling like it. On Saturday, September 6, I was able to attend as the Purdue Boilermakers took on the Southern Illinois University Salukis. As a fan of college football and starting my college career next fall, it was exciting exploring the Purdue campus, tailgating, and watching the football game. I was lucky enough to experience this with a few of my friends: fellow seniors Owen Cotner-Graves, Brody Hillis, Trey Johnson, and junior, Braydon Woolever. It was fantastic hanging out with my friends all day and having fun spending time together before we graduate next spring.
Tailgating at college football games is a labor-intensive activity that involves arriving at the stadium early to set up tents with food, along with friends and family. Set up may sound boring, but when you are actually there, it is such an electrifying environment. If fans do get bored, they can walk around the campus to take in its beautiful surroundings. The Purdue SIU game was my first tailgate, so I did not really know what to expect, but I enjoyed the experience immensely. Braydon Woolever had this to say about the tailgate and campus, “I have tailgated before at a couple of Purdue games. Walking around campus was pretty fun; it is a nice campus, and we rode scooters around before and after the game. Overall, it was a nice campus and fun.” Adding to his statement, Woolever continued, “We were able to get a tour around the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity.” Since Braydon already knew what to expect, he was not surprised by what the tailgate comprised.
As this was my first time attending a college football game, it was an excellent game to attend. A Division I football game day atmosphere is one of the most thrilling events I have ever attended, and I highly encourage the experience. Other first-time attendee, (without an adult) Owen Cotner-Graves had this to say about our experience, “This was my first college game day on my own. I was surprised by the environment of the game after hiring the new coach.” If you are a real Purdue fan, then you know the Purdue fanbase has shown up to support Barry Odom and the team 100%. Unlike OCG and me, Trey Johnson & Brody Hillis have attended multiple college games, and Trey added, “I have been to about four or five (games).” When asked how this game was different, Johnson said, “This one (game) was a night game, and I have never been to a night game. It was cool to see how everyone started to tailgate all the way until the game started. The atmosphere was something that I was not used to.” Brody Hillis added, “It’s been a while since I’ve been to a game, and it was pretty fun because we spent some time after the game going around campus.”
We entered Ross-Ade Stadium an hour early to watch the pre-game routines of both teams. Fans knew it was game time because Ross-Ade was rocking. It was the loudest environment I have seen. Throughout the day, Purdue fans could tell it was a true college game day experience, including students walking around campus, fraternity houses, and hearing the Purdue All-American Band play.
