Auburn, it is finally that time of year again: Auburn football is back and hopefully better than ever. With such an anticipated season ahead of us and so many new students on campus, there are a few not-so-typical tips that you might want to follow for the best college game day experience.
Everyone always hears to get to the games early. What you haven't heard is to get to campus earlier. Getting to the game about two to three hours before is perfect, but there are a few steps to making that happen.
Planning to park on campus for the games is a necessary evil for some. Arriving at the Residential Overflow lots around five to six hours before is probably your best bet.
While getting an on-campus spot is like winning the lottery, preparing for the walk to the stadium is still a daunting task. Wearing good shoes is a necessity.
Most students go all out for SEC football and will wear their Sunday best. Wearing uncomfortable shoes might be tempting but should be avoided at all costs. Converse and other types of fashion sneakers can easily fit with dresses while keeping you comfy through hours of walking and four-quarters of standing.
People often wonder what to bring when small clear bags are all you have. Bringing your own shaker if you have one is never a bad idea. Shakers seem to quickly disappear, and you would hate to spend the whole game using nothing but a few lost shaker strings.
As always, it is important to take care of yourself at all times, so bringing water or finding some at tailgates is essential.
If you have any extra room, a portable charger is great to have on-hand. Three hours of tailgating, two hours of waiting for the game, four hours of football and even more time spent getting back home are a recipe for a dead phone battery. Save yourself the stress and invest in a good portable charger.
Now that pregame has been covered, there are things to know about being inside the stadium as well. One common mistake is bringing cash to pay for food. All stadium purchases must be made using a card or with dining dollars.
Speaking of in-stadium purchases, you might find that the concession lines are a bit long. Be sure to check the stand at the edges of the student section instead of the ones close to the student entrances, and you might shave a few minutes off your trip.
After four hours of standing in your comfortable shoes and eating snacks that only took you ten minutes to get because you went to the right concession stands, the game will end and it will be time for the beloved alma mater. The problem is, if you don't know the words, it might be impossible for you to hear them and sing along.
As silly as it sounds, learning the words before the game might be most beneficial. Knowing your school's alma mater is something that will be special one day and in this moment will save you the embarrassment of humming along with the crowd.
Finally, there comes a time when Auburn will win, and the whole crowd will make the walk to Toomer's Corner. You will be able hear the fans around you enthusiastically sharing their favorite plays and that one guy over there getting people to scream "Bodda Getta" along with him. It would be a shame to realize you have no toilet paper to roll those iconic oaks.
While you shouldn't bring toilet paper with you to the game so you don't jinx anything, you should bring a couple of dollars with you. Auburn always has young entrepreneurs — I'm sure they'll find themselves in Horton Hardgrave Hall one day — who like to sell their own rolls of toilet paper to the unlucky few who find themselves paperless. If you’re lucky, though, there are always a few stray rolls for a toss or two.
While you won't figure out your game day groove until you've been in Jordan-Hare yourself, these tips and suggestions will hopefully smooth out some of the bumps in the road. Whether you have gone to Auburn games since you were a kid or this is your first game, going as an Auburn student will be a new experience altogether. With these game day tips, hopefully your experience in Jordan-Hare will be the best it can possibly be.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
