Each college town has their own vibe, something that makes it jive a bit differently from every other one.
In Tempe, I’d say that it is our extraordinary ability to make life a party. There is no better way to see what makes a college town tick than to see them at their prime: a home football game.
We’ve all had the ASU home-football experience: out-of-control tailgates, a booming student section, and, of course, the after parties. What really is an experience, however, is traveling with the team to take on an opponent on foreign turf.
I think the truest personality of a university comes out during football season. USC is welcoming. Oregon is vicious. UA is smelly.
What better way to visit an opposing school than during the height of competition and rivalry?
It can seem daunting, and sometimes it is, but my experience has been that away football games are almost always more fun than home games for several reasons.
Firstly, everyone you see wearing ASU attire, whether it is tailgating, around town, or in some obscure shop on the side of the street deserves a pitchfork and a slow chant of A-S-U.
Literally, every ASU fan in the visiting area is your best friend because, let’s face it, it’s safer to travel in groups.
This also makes tailgating much more fun because you don’t feel awkward strolling up to someone’s tailgate with absolutely no idea who they are. In fact, it’s encouraged.
Secondly, the visitors section is unlike anything you find at home games. You are surrounded with thousands of fans who would like nothing more than to see your team get pummeled.
This is especially fun when you’re louder than they are. This can also prove to be dangerous, so make sure you have an escape route you happen to upset a local.
Also, you get the chance to see another college town. You can compare their campus, bookstore, buildings, stadium and just about anything else to what we have here in Tempe.
Something about tailgating in an opponent’s parking lot almost always makes ASU fans very loud and very obnoxious.
This is a good thing because it ensures that when it’s time to head to the stadium, there will be chants of A-S-U louder than any from the home fans.
Most importantly, if ASU happens to win, there is nothing better than seeing the looks of thousands of upset home fans.
It’s one thing to silence the visitors, but silencing the home fans is much more satisfying.
So travel with the team. Go see other Pac-12 schools. If we win, you’ll be happy you made the trip.
If we lose, well, hopefully we at least scared them a little bit.
Reach the columnist at lweinick@asu.edu
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