It’s football season, which means it’s tailgate season (at least for big state schools). The two are seemingly inseparable. And often times, the tailgate may even take precedence over the game. However, the word tailgate is not even in a Bucknellian’s vocabulary. But that’s certainly okay, and I’m here to tell you why. Why it’s okay, and why you should go to Bucknell football games.
To start off, a football game is the perfect opportunity for Bucknell students to come together- the perfect opportunity to render school spirit. It’s a single event, not a super Saturday where your friends are split up among different houses downtown. The whole school can come together and no one is labeled by the letters on their shirts.
Additionally, cheering positively influences a team’s performance, which makes the “home field advantage” so coveted. Because of the size of Bucknell, you probably know a few members of the team. Maybe you know them from a random orientation event (a brief interaction at Play Fair or a very awkward “Awkward Dinner”) or perhaps there were football players on your freshman year hall. So, let’s go cheer on our “Awkward Dinner” dates! But seriously, let’s do it because athletes use the energy of the crowd to feed themselves, ultimately pushing themselves to perform their best. Teams work with the energy of the stands, and quite inexplicably, the fans provide that extra energy when athletes are tired and nearing defeat.
Bucknell football has never won a Patriot League championship, but this year, the team is in first place and has a really good chance of winning. So, with only a few home games left and homecoming right around the corner, let’s whip out our Bucknell attire and go cheer on our fellow Bison!