This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at C of C chapter.
College sports play a huge role in the culture of a university. I grew up in a house where NCAA teams were just as big and prominent as professional NFL or NBA teams. March Madness is so much fun, from filling out the brackets to watching the underdog make a crazy run to the championship game, and the BCS National Championship Game is practically a holiday in itself.
I came to the College of Charleston knowing that CofC Basketball would play a huge part in my collegiate career. My freshman year, for one of the team’s first games of the season, we held a home game at 8:30AM as part of ESPN’s 24 Hour Marathon for the Kickoff to College Basketball. I ended up skipping my 8am Communications class to attend the game, but it was totally worth it. The vibe of the arena, the students decked out in maroon and white, and the players feeding off the energy of the crowd to drive to the hoop made it all worthwhile. I made a pact with a few friends that I would never miss a home game, because it was just too much fun. Getting to scream at the top of my lungs for my classmates who were featured on ESPN and in college basketball publications across the nation, gave me a really awesome connection to the sport and I wanted nothing more than to see our team make a spectacular run to the famed NCAA March Madness tournament.
There is nothing quite like being in the student section at a college game. Especially when your team is playing your rival school. The Citadel is also located in downtown Charleston and we always draw a huge turnout for our crosstown rivalry game. We want to “claim the city” and having all of the students there makes for a fun and lively group that feeds off of each others’ energy. Davidson, our conference rival, always fights with us for the top ranking in the division, so the games are always packed with students and fans from across the country who come to see the Cougars dominate. Being a student gives you the right to go crazy at games, from decking yourself out in body paint or by booing the other team during foul shots to storming the court after a hard-fought win.
College basketball has truly grown over the past years, particularly at CofC. It is now featured in the national spotlight and people across the country have gotten to known our school simply through our successfully blossoming program and the big names it has produced (including current guard Andrew Lawrence who represented Great Britain in this past summer’s Olympic Games)!
It’s so exciting to have such easy access to one of the hottest up-and-coming teams in college sports and to watch them achieve great success each and every week from the student section. College sports serve as such a great supplement to your college experience by incorporating school spirit and strengthening social ties while bringing students together for a common cause: screaming yourself hoarse in support of the Maroon and White!
Go Cougars!