College Football: A Student's Experience

Going to a major university in the southeast, college football plays a big role around campus. For many reasons, it is an altogether different experience than the average football fan is accustomed to.

Currently fielding a football team that ranks in the Top 15 of the BCS standings, the college I attend is well in the national limelight. For the avid football fan, this in itself would be quite a thrill. As a student, however, it is a much more thrilling experience.

The energy and excitement that surrounds the team is felt throughout campus on a daily basis. The team is a daily topic of conversation, and students are enthusiastic about the program. Every day we see the football players around campus and get to know them as students, not just players. However, the occasional request for an autograph is not entirely out of the ordinary.

Game day is unbelievable. You can feel the excitement from the very moment you roll out of bed late on Saturday morning. There is a buzz in the air and a strange feeling pervades campus - it is game day.

Time to turn on the TV and watch College GameDay on ESPN, given that you have woken up in time. At some point, they start talking about your school. You hear about your fellow classmates and see highlights of what they have been doing on the field. It is an awesome experience.

After hanging out with some of your best friends, game time is finally approaching. Time to put on your school's apparel and head to the stadium. Game time.

Watching the game is a different experience as well. Surrounded by your friends and classmates, you watch as your team plays on national TV. The players are not just players either. They are your friends and classmates - people you see every day. They are representing your school. Even though you are not a part of the team, you are connected to the game in a very unique way. For any college football fan, this is a little slice of heaven.

After enjoying the win, it is back to class in a couple days. Players typically slip right back into student mode, but every now and then something quite unique happens. My favorite of these moments was the day a professor stopped class to applaud a player's performance in the game. You do not get that on ESPN.

College football is an amazing game. Living in the midst of it, however, is something quite special - something you will never forget.