Did someone say it’s game day? For me, in the fall, that’s the case every weekend! I’ve been a cheerleader at Northwestern University since my freshman year, and now I’m back for my final season as a senior. Ever since I kicked off Year 4 in early September, it has been a busy couple of weeks, from back-to-school events, to practices, to the big games. But so far, there’s been nothing like this Saturday.
For my school’s game against the University of Oregon, Fox Sports came out to Evanston, Illinois, to host its college football pregame show, Big Noon Kickoff, at the NU lakefill. Since Northwestern is also lovingly known as “Nerdwestern” by its student body, having Fox come out to highlight our football game — when there were so many to choose from — is a huge deal. The cheerleaders especially had lots of fun all week leading up to game day: From meeting producers, to filming promotional content the day before, the kickoff on Saturday morning was on everyone’s mind.
So, I’m super excited to give you a recap of my game day! If you’ve ever wondered what a day as a college cheerleader is like, here’s a glimpse of mine.
5:30 A.M.: Wake Up & Get Ready
Time to kick the sheets and get the day started! Even though kickoff isn’t until 11:00, our appearance on Fox Sports starts at 9:00. So, our start time is a little bit earlier than usual. I fight the urge to hit snooze and head over to my desk to do my hair and makeup. All I’ve been listening to lately is Sabrina Carpenter’s new album, so I put that on repeat while I get ready for game day. After I wrap up hair and makeup, I make myself some very needed coffee and head out!
7:30 A.M.: Arrive In The Rain
I get to the athletics facility at 7:30 and walk through what may as well be a hurricane. The pouring rain plus the lakeside wind makes for a near disaster with my hair and makeup. Once I get inside, I go through security and head to the room where the team meets. Since we’re playing in a different location while our stadium is under construction, our “locker room” is a giant conference room — weird to get used to, but convenient for eating and doing homework.
8:00 A.M.: Breakfast & Rain Delay
Once we’re settled in, we get breakfast sandwiches delivered, and I’m so excited! Since we’re waiting in the makeshift locker room for a while, I decide to get some work done while I eat. I’m taking my LSAT in just a few weeks, so I review my last practice test — doing my wrong answer journal (which might be the worst part about studying for this test, IYKYK) and going over any question I feel unsure of. We also find out that we won’t be heading out to the tailgate until later because the game is on a lightning delay. So, we’re going to be inside longer than we thought.
8:30 A.M.: Warmups
Our coaches decide to send us up to warmups early so we won’t need to practice after the TV appearance. Because the team is in such a time crunch, we quickly run our stunts, throw our tumbling, and go over any last-minute questions we have about our routines.
9:15 A.M.: Going Live!
After we finish warmups, we walk over to the Fox tailgate and take our places. I spend some time in the D.J. booth and see some of my friends. After that, I go over the small, makeshift field and cheer during the taping. It’s so cool to get texts from people watching at home who say they can see me on TV!
10:15 A.M.: Pre-Game
After we finish at the tailgate, I jog over with the team to the stadium to get ready for kickoff. We start with the pre-game stuff, including starting line-up, the national anthem, and (my favorite part) running the flags out with the football team.
11:00 A.M.: Kickoff
Since it rained so much in the morning, I can already tell the game is going to be hot and humid. I head over to the sidelines with the rest of the team and get ready for kickoff, watch the coin toss (which we win!), and get ready to watch the start of the game. After kickoff, I watch the game, dance, and cheer. For every timeout, I head out to the field to stunt and tumble.
12:30 P.M.: Halftime
At the end of the first half, I head into the locker room for halftime. Every game, the team gets a boxed lunch to eat before the second half. This week, I have a honey ham sandwich with fruit, chips, and a cookie. Halftime is really short, so I never actually have time to finish my meal. But I wash up as quickly, scarf down as much food as I can, and get ready to head back out! The team is down, but overall not a terrible performance against a team ranked Top 10 in the AP.
12:45 P.M.: Second half & heading home
The second half is essentially a repeat of the first, only much hotter. I watch the team slowly slip away into a deficit — way too big to come back from. But, we keep on cheering! This half, I throw some burritos into the crowd, help out with a contest on the field, and get to run the flags to celebrate both the touchdowns we score. We end up losing 34-14, but I still have a great time, especially since we got to be on the Fox Big Noon Kickoff. After the game is over, I head back to the locker room with the team, change into my warmup gear, and head out for the day.
3:00 P.M.: Home & Nap
I finally get home and am ready to relax! After the game, I snagged a cherry juice concentrate (which apparently helps with muscle recovery), so I drink that before taking a shower. After a hot game, there is nothing better than an ice-cold shower. One of my friends just had her birthday, so I know I need to rest up so we can celebrate tonight. I call my mom and we chat for a couple minutes; then I go to take a nap before the night ahead.
5:00 P.M.: Wake Up & Get Ready (Again!)
Once I’m up, I spend a bit of time on my LSAT practice test. Then, I start my hair and makeup once again. Honestly, I pull off some incredible multitasking: primping, eating dinner, and watching a YouTube video very attentively — all at once. And with that, I’m all ready to go, and I head out for the night!