Yes, you read that title correctly. I go to a Big 10 school and couldn't care less about the game of football.
I have always been surrounded by sports. I grew up around football specifically. My dad played it in college and helped coach a college team when I was younger. My brother dabbled in the sport as well, even though hockey and baseball were more of his thing. Not only did my dad and brother love football, but my mom did as well. Constantly being surrounded by this sport made me think that I loved it just as much as my family did. However, I never realized that when I would go to football games, I would never watch the actual sport. When I was watching the games on TV with my family I would only be interested when it was a close game. Never would I ever think to watch a game by myself. Watching football was always something I did to feel similar to my family when in reality, I couldn't care less about the actual game. I only cared about the socializing aspect and who won and who lost.
When I decided to attend The Ohio State University in the fall of 2016, I was beyond excited. The summer before freshman year I found a roommate, picked classes for the upcoming year, and bought football season tickets. The days leading up to the first football game, everyone on my floor was so excited. A majority of people I was friends with were from Ohio, so they had been to Buckeye games before. However, for me, this year would be my first time at a game. Everyone told me that I would absolutely love it. Many of my hallmates had been going to Ohio State football games since they were children and still haven't gotten sick of them.
The morning of the first football game, I was ecstatic. My roommate and I woke up hours before the game to get ready. As we were doing our makeup, hair, and picking out tailgate outfits, we were blaring Ohio State classics. About two hours before kickoff, my roommate's sister brought us and all of our friends to our first tailgate party. All of the students at the tailgate were so pumped up, and it made me even more excited for what was to come. I kept thinking to myself, "And I still have an entire football game of fun?" About 10 minutes before kickoff we left the tailgate and jogged to the stadium. It was time. When I walked into our stadium for the first time, I was in shock. The stadium looked ginormous from the outside, but when every seat was filled with cheering fans, it looked 10 times as large. We walked up many flights of stairs to our seats and sat down. I made it. My first Ohio State football game.
I lasted until halftime. The electric vibe of the crowd only lasted so long. Especially since the game was a complete blowout, everyone eventually began to calm down. The time I spent at this first game has still been the longest I have ever stayed at an Ohio State football game. I quickly realized that I couldn't have cared less about the game being played. I cared about the socializing aspect of it, the awe of being in the stadium, and who won and who lost. I learned that when I was excited for game days, I was not excited to sit in the stands, but was excited for the tailgates beforehand where I could see all of my friends and have a blast.
The following school year I only bought Big 10 tickets and this year, I didn't buy any tickets at all. When I was a freshman, I was ashamed to not like the game of football. Everyone around me was engrossed in it, constantly talking about the players and the plays. We all have different interests, and as of right now, mine do not include football. And hey, there should be nothing wrong with that!
