If you’re like me and you grew up around the maroon and white traditions of Texas A&M all of your life, you know the feeling you get when you set foot on campus and start making memories. Growing up in the Bryan-College Station area, I was heavily exposed to the culture of Texas A&M and wanted nothing more than to get my degree from there. Above anything else, I was excited to finally attend several sporting events.

Thanks to my sports pass, I could go see any game I wanted at a very reasonable price. The team was coming off a 9-4 season with a Cotton Bowl berth, and this year had expectations through the roof. People were talking about a possible National Championship appearance. Sadly, the Athletic program did not perform to expectations and we limped out of the Big 12 and into the SEC, the strongest and most revered conference in Division 1 football. Many of us thought they would get creamed and post another subpar season after finishing 7-6 with a bowl victory. However, behind Heisman QB Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M posted an 11-win season and a huge victory in the Cotton Bowl vs. Oklahoma. The excitement for next season started immediately as fans took to TexAgs and social media to rave about the successes now and the successes to come. Even Dave Campbell’s magazine had A&M finishing 11-1 with a Sugar Bowl berth. The high expectations made for an exciting start of the season…at least at first it did. Despite coming into the season highly ranked, A&M struggled to beat Rice at home. The struggles continued as the defense faltered on many occasions costing A&M several key games. The Ags posted a 9-4 record with a come-from-behind Chick-Fil-A Bowl victory over Duke. The next two years would be killer for Aggie fans. A&M started both seasons 5-0 as the defense gradually improved and the offense kept the high octane plays coming. The Aggies ranked in the top 10 in the country both years. Sadly, both teams tanked near the end and posted 7-5 and 8-4 seasons en route to a win and loss in their bowl games respectively.

So much excitement is brought with the upcoming 2016 season, but also a lot of high expectations and doubt. We expect the defense to be dominant, we expect to see mass improvements in the offense, and we expect this year to be the make or break year for Coach Sumlin. So how is it that despite all of these expectations and potential negative outcomes, fans continue to buy in to the Aggie brand? Simple, tradition! Whether it’s the electrifying atmosphere at Kyle Field during gamedays, the “mug downs” when the lights go out at Midnight Yell, or the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band (Whoop!), Aggie fans NEVER turn away from Texas A&M. There’s honestly nothing like gameday in Aggieland. Fans from all over the country make their way to Kyle Field to enjoy the Aggie football experience. The hype of standing in line to get your ticket during student pull and finally having it scanned to walk into Kyle Field is truly an experience worth the long wait. Then you get to your seats and stand with the 12^th Man (despite the 100 degree heat) for the entire game (Thank the Lord for halftime!). Suddenly, you see and hear the pre-game pump-up video ending with a voice yelling “Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit’s TIIIIIIIIIIIMMMEEE” and suddenly the stadium shakes with the sounds of beating drums and clapping along to the beats while towels wave back and forth. The team reaches the exit of the tunnel and “Power”by Kanye West comes on, and the whole stadium sings along and jumps up and down. Finally, smoke surrounds the exit, fireworks go off, and the team runs out onto the field led by Miss Reveille, the team’s lovely mascot. Then, we “Saw’em Off” to the Aggie War Hymn and begin the traditional yells led by the best leaders in the country, the Texas A&M Yell Leaders. From there, the experience is what you make of it.

Nothing compares to the Aggie Football experience at Kyle Field. Over 100,000 fans pack the stadium to see their Ags play the sport they love with the hopes of taking down the SEC powerhouses. The Aggies will open the season with the UCLA Bruins at Kyle Field on September 3, and excitement is brewing in the area and will continue to do so no matter how they finish. Gig’em Aggies!