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Overalls…check. Body paint…check. Boom box for halftime dance party…check. Women’s soccer tailgate…double check.
With student tailgating for football games on life support, it is time to explore alternative avenues of extreme fandom. For those looking for a wholly unique experience, I recommend taking part in the women’s soccer tailgate this Friday.
The soccer team will be taking on Marquette University who is fast becoming their fiercest rival. The Cardinals have dealt with three heartbreaking losses at the hands of the Golden Eagles over the last two years. All three losses were by one goal with one of the losses coming in the last minute of overtime and another in the Big East tournament.
The game starts at 7 p.m. and the athletic department will be handing out U of L knit hats to students who come to the game. There is no reason for students to not at least walk on over to the game, pick up a hat and support the school.
Members of the team told me in a recent interview that they play at a completely different level when the fans come out and support them. This was made apparent when they defeated Rutgers 3-0 this past week after losing to them 1-0 last year.
The brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity came out in masses to support the team against the Scarlet Knights. They, along with the omnipresent L-Raisers, packed the stands behind the opposing goalie, and brought her to tears. Now if that isn’t rowdy, I don’t know what is.
The game plan is to keep the rowdiness rolling this Friday. I fully encourage all students to head out to the game and support the soccer team as they take on their Big East foe. The Cardinal sports section will have a photographer at the game taking pictures of the rowdiest fans and will place the photos in our next issue. If you are in a fraternity, sorority, L-Raisers, any other RSO on campus or just a die hard U of L fan, this is a great opportunity to get some exposure.
I believe so wholeheartedly in this tailgate that I will be taking my paycheck as sports editor for this week and spending it on supplies. I plan to go pick up some signage, body paint and other necessities for soccer hooliganism.
After partaking in a full out tailgate, I will have stat sheets on the players from Marquette, found from none other than the glory that is Facebook. At halftime I will have a generator so we can have a boom box blaring music for a 90s halftime dance party. God knows where post game will take us, but I’m sure it is to a glorious place.
As college students we are given four to six years to get as boisterous as we want at any and all sporting events. I say we take advantage of it.
So, I encourage everyone to not just come out to the game, but come out before to tailgate and celebrate being a fan of Cardinal athletics. If there is any way to show the university that we deserve an actual student section at football and basketball games, it is to make our own at women’s soccer games.
