Following up on Mike’s post, I’d like to comment on the sports aspect of being a college student. I attended a small public high school where I attended every basketball game and as many football and baseball games as I could. (Obviously I wasn’t very athletic or I would have been playing in aforementioned games). With friends scattered at Big 10 schools with excellent sports programs (Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Penn State), being an Ivy League sports fan has not been easy. Our football tickets are free, and College GameDay will never come near our campus. While the games are competitive and I always enjoy cheering on friends, I’ll always miss the school spirit that I’ve experienced while visiting friends.

The community aspect built around sporting events at spirited schools is incredible. Even sports-agnostics get decked out in school-colored garb to attend various events and moreso, the festivities involved. The magical atomosphere walking out of The Big House after a Michigan football victory, the tailgates outside of Beaver Stadium before Penn State games, and the Chapel Hill bar scene while UNC is playing, have all given me tastes of life at a ra-ra sports school with great fan spirit. The unity that the events create amongst the student body is unparalleled by any feature of a school that I have yet to experience. I urge anyone who hasn’t done so to visit a large school for one if its major sporting events, tailgate, wear fan gear, and get the full experience. It’s one your likely to not forget.

Lesson Learned: Count the Ivy League out if you’re looking for a big-time sporting experience.