The Best Ways To Enjoy This College Football Season With Friends

By Christy Flom on August 24, 2015

Game days are lurking around the corner for college football and with everyone talking about new dorms, apartments, classes, and roommates, I figured it was high time to talk about something actually exciting and important in college: football.

I don’t care if you have no idea what or who a quarterback is, what shape a football is, who the head coach of your school’s team is, or how many players are on the field at once during a football game. Regardless of your knowledge of the sport, football is a huge game that brings communities of college students and alumni together each fall.

Whether it’s sitting in a packed stadium amongst 50,000 of your closest friends, or watching the game at home on a cold day, there are so many great ways to make the most out of this college football season.

One of the most popular ways to prepare for a football game is by tailgating. In college this can mean several different things. The most common way to tailgate is in the parking lot of the football stadium. Usually alum and fans who do not live on campus are the ones parking here. Stampeding into the parking lot as early as 8 a.m. for a 3 p.m. game, parking lot tailgates require strategic planning and packing.

First, a lot of people bring mini grills to make hotdogs, and hamburgers before the game. The grill will take up a good portion of your trunk so the other items will need to be carefully packed and fitted into the car. By “other items,” I mean buns, condiments, chips, salsa, assorted drinks, a cooler for the assorted drinks, cups, plates, silverware, a fold-up table, maybe a tablecloth if you’re feeling fancy, and some type of dessert ranging from store-bought cookies to homemade pies and cakes.

My dad and his friends tailgate every Saturday and all try to park next to each other to increase the perimeter of their tailgate to really turn it into a party. Speaking of parties, college students tend to relate tailgating with these events. Rather than hanging out with my dad’s old college friends in the parking lot, I hang out with my own friends in my apartment and then we walk up and down the streets of Ann Arbor meeting up with people.

Whether we end up at a fraternity, or a friend’s house party, we always have a great time bopping around and then grabbing some cheap food before heading to the game. Usually my roommates and I hang out in our apartment for an hour or so getting ready for the day together before hitting the streets, which leads to the next way you can maximize football season: throw your own party!

Creating a game day playlist to blast in the morning with friends and friends of friends is the perfect way to prepare for the long and exhausting yet extremely fun day. From playing a couple songs to get the morning going during breakfast to throwing a full out pregame party filled with beverages and food at your place, any type of gathering on game days is acceptable.

I’m sure girls and guys are all stressing about what to wear on game days to all the festivities. Don’t worry because dressing up for game days should be a part of everyone’s weekend routine.

Guys: go ahead and pull out the jerseys, bro tanks, and mid calfs since a college football party is nothing without guys in backwards hats and sunglasses, even if it’s cloudy. Guys really do have it pretty easy when it comes down to it though. Throw on a simple t-shirt with your school’s name on it and bam, you’re good to go.

Girls on the other hand have many more options and decisions to make before heading out to a game day party. Do you wear a jersey this week or a cut off t-shirt with metallic leggings and possibly a tutu? Maybe you should wear those cool striped overalls with converse and a white crop top. Or, girls can even buy a cheerleading outfit complete with pompoms and bow in the hair.

There will always be a variety of outfits on game day, but in all seriousness, it is worth it to get in the game spirit! The best people are those who go all out, dressed head to toe in their school colors, ready to cheer, yell, and chant their team to victory. Even if it is an away game, make it a competition amongst your friends to see who can show the most “school spirit” to make watching the game on a TV a little more entertaining.

A final way to dress up is to add face and body paint. Painting your whole face school colors immediately tells the world you are ready for this game and that your team is 100 percent going to win. Grabbing a group of friends and painting a slogan on everyone’s chest such as, “Go ‘insert team name,’” is also a fun way to stand out at a game.

Game days are a chance to relax and enjoy a good game of football, offering students and alum a chance to take a break from the stress of the week. Get out there and support your team any chance you get to show your appreciation for all the hard work athletes put in year round.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format