As a student, nothing beats a good tailgate and football game, especially here at West Virginia University. With so much energy and camaraderie, it’s a staple part of student life. There are a few things that first-time students may not know, but that can help you to have the best experience not only at football games but at all sporting events here on campus!Â
1. What you should be wearing
Whether you’re a student or just a fan, for most games, there will be some sort of theme to dress for. Common examples are white-out, coal-rush, gold-rush or occasionally stripe the stadium. Emails and social media posts typically come out in the days preceding the game, telling students and fans what to wear to truly show out and show off their love for the Mountaineers. Staying in the know about what the theme of the game is can help you to feel connected to those around you and have a better experience at games!
2. Student Tickets and Loyalty Points
Students are able to get free tickets to essentially every event; the only catch is that you have to request your tickets for sporting events in advance. This is especially important for more popular events like football and basketball games. To request a ticket, you will have to go online at www.wvugame.com/students and sign in with your student information. From there, you can get a digital ticket that will be scanned at the entrance to the game. At the start of each sports season, every student will receive what’s called “Loyalty Points” based on their seniority status. Seniors and graduate students receive 5 points, juniors receive 3 points, sophomores receive 2 points, and freshmen receive only 1 point.
These loyalty points are very important. When there is a game in which there are more people wanting to attend than there are tickets, these loyalty points aid in determining which students get tickets and which ones do not. You can gain additional points by attending home games and scanning your ticket at the gate of home games. However, while 1 point is gained by attending a game, if you request a ticket and do not attend or return your ticket before kick-off, you will lose 2 points.
3. The do’s and don’ts
There are a few things you should keep in mind if you’ve never been to a game before. For example, if you are the kind of person who likes to bring a bag into a game, you should be aware that we have a clear bag policy. The last thing you want to happen at a game is to have to leave your bag behind. One thing I would highly recommend bringing is a portable charger. Chances are, before the game, you will be walking around the Blue Lot screaming country roads at the top of your lungs for several hours. Considering that your ticket to the game is on your phone, you really wouldn’t want it to die before you can make it inside. Also, don’t be an antagonist at games or at tailgates; everyone is there to have a good time and enjoy the game, and the quickest way to make a good time turn bad is to cause drama for no good reason. Lastly, you do want to familiarize yourself with some of the old-school traditions and chants before your first game, and don’t forget the all-important lyrics of Country Roads. All in all, it’s not hard to have an enjoyable game-day experience; just be sure to bring your best self and as much mountaineer spirit as you can muster!