FCS Roundtable: Traditions In and Around FCS
By Kyle Kensing
A significant contributor to college football’s mystique is the tradition surrounding it. Every campus has its own customs that make each Saturday unique, exciting and prideful. The Football Championship Subdivision Roundtable convened to highlight some of the traditions around it that get the fan bases riled on gameday.
Above is a video of Appalachian State’s 2006 Black Saturday.
Russell Varner, SouthernPigskin.com
The Southern Conference is rich with history. Thus, of course there are going to be some great gameday traditions. The Citadel is one of the more traditional colleges, beginning each game with the entrance of the cadets in the stadium. I have yet to witness it in person, but it is a goal of mine as I have heard it is quite a sight to behold, much like witnessing members of the Army, Navy or Air Force enter the stadium.
Appalachian State hosts one of the most exciting Saturdays in the FCS: Black Saturday. The nickname came from the school’s colors and the fans dressing in all black for the game, turning an already intimidating stadium into a coliseum for of crazed fans who wish to see nothing but a Mountaineer victory. A gameday at Kidd Brewer Stadium is an experience unlike any other. They even have a website that chronicles the atmosphere and tradition at App State.
Not to be outdone, Georgia Southern has its fair share of gameday traditions as well. There is the kickoff chant of, “Go! Blue! One more time!” which pays honor to Eagles’ legendary coach Erk Russell. There are the yellow school buses the team takes to games. There is the pregame flight of Freedom, the Eagles’ live mascot, from the top of the press box onto the field, which has been described by some as “the most exciting 30 seconds of college football” (take that Clemson).
There are plenty more to be mentioned as well, as every school has their own traditions. I nearly forgot to mention how Furman is led onto the field by a fully-suited paladin on horseback. The SoCon is indeed very tradition-rich, enough so to compare with some of the programs in the FBS.
Ben Moore, PantherTalk.com & SBNation Atlanta
The longer a school has played football, the deeper the traditions become entrenched. I grew up a Florida State fan as my parents went to HS in Florida and my Dad was a huge ‘Nole. From the time I was very little, I knew “The Warchant” and yelled “Go ‘Noles” after each first down. We were season ticket holders from 2000-2009. When Georgia State began play in 2010, I relinquished my tickets as I promised back in the early days when Panther football was a dream. I believe once a fan base embraces traditions like cowbells at Mississippi State, calling the Hogs at Arkansas, it transcends generations. It becomes what you do at games.
I think the same thing takes hold in FCS. One tradition that began at Georgia State in 2010 was started by starting Safety Brandon Jones who counts 1…2…3…and the entire kick off unit jumps. Our fans have gravitated to that and when visitors come to the Dome, it’s not shocking to see entire sections doing the exact same thing right before kickoff. I think students are great to start them but it truly takes hold when everyone embraces them.
At Jacksonville State, our band, the Marching Southerners, lead the way. Playing “Dixie” and “Stars Fell on Alabama” always gets the crowd ready for a game. The Marching Southerners are a big part of the enthusiasm for the football games, and the football players traditionally celebrate victories in front of the band.
A new tradition at JSU is pregame in the Club Level of the stadium. Catered by the finest restaurant in the state, Classic on Noble, the doors open early for a pregame meal for club level ticket holders. Seeing old friends and new ones in this atmosphere is something that anyone would want to experience.
In the OVC, we remember Murray State having a race horse run around a track when the team scored a touchdown. As with many teams, there are traditions on the team such as touching a sign before the game. In the OVC, it is becoming more apparent every year that teams are opting for better preparation in lieu of small traditions on game day. They say when it is game time, it is too late to prepare. Last year, SEMO seemed to come out of nowhere to win the conference. This year, it is Murray State making noise in the preseason polls. As always, it will come down to plays on the field. We’re looking forward to another year of excellent OVC football.
Kyle Roth, Bison Illustrated & Bison Sports Blog
At NDSU, one of the long-reaching traditions of the game-day experience involves the marching band, whose roots date back to the start of Bison Football itself in the early 1900’s. It started with a group of farming students playing instruments atop a float that paraded down Broadway in Fargo to build interest in an upcoming football game, and today that festive act has taken the form of the march over, where the Gold Star Marching Band begins their route on the south end of campus at the Reineke Center for Fine Arts and marches up Albrecht Drive until reaching the Fargodome. In recent years, they’ve split into groups to play for NDSU’s formidable tailgate atmosphere (which draws thousands on a weekly basis), for students lining up to get tickets (the student gate opens three hours before kickoff, prompting a mad rush for the best seats possible), and for early arrivals in the main Fargodome gate. The band then regroups at the north end of the building, entering through the only place large enough to accomodate the band’s size – the north loading bays. They enter the Dome proper, playing through the school song, then take a twenty minute break (at this point having been marching for up to two and a half hours) before playing their pre-game set which includes the school’s alma mater and fight song.
The band is a large part of the tradition at NDSU, and significantly factors into the pageantry and pomp of Bison Football.
Joe Suhoski, VBR Productions
The Old Dominion University football team has played only two full seasons, so there’s been minimal opportunity for full traditions to have developed. From the very first game, the players and coaches walk through Kaufman Mall to the stadium about two-and-a-half hours before the game. They are greeted and cheered on by fans on all sides as they walk from one side of campus to the other. And here’s a shameless plug for what I consider an impressive tradition – the Monarchs have sold out all 14 home games to date, hosting 19,782 per contest. All 14,000-plus season tickets have again been sold in advance of the 2011 season.
Elsewhere in the CAA, one unique tradition is maintained at The College of William and Mary. They have had enormous success with walk-on players becoming significant contributors by the time they graduate. The importance of walk-on players is so emphasized that the team has a Walk-On Hall of Fame. Consisting of roughly 80 inductees, this HOF includes former standouts such as QB Lang Campbell, the 2004 Walter Payton Award winner, and Adrian Tracey, who was taken by the NY Giants in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. The Tribe clearly take their walk-on players seriously as part of the development of their overall program.