It begins early. Like really early. Like the entire week before type early. The entire football season is one big blur of cheering, school colors, and the day-after-drinking taste in your mouth (if you're of age, of course).
Tailgaters walk by more of your classroom buildings than you do, and you may find yourself eating more BBQ than any other time of the year. Why do we do all of this? Why do we spend day in and day out just for one game?
Because, ladies and gentlemen, this is the SEC.
If you've been honored enough to attend an SEC school, or even just attend a single game, you know what I'm talking about. As a South Florida girl, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived at my beloved SEC school, the University of Florida. I had heard the excitement was unreal, but really, it was insane.
"Who were we playing?" We don't care. We're still better.
"What time does the game start?" It starts at noon; we better begin the night before. Oh, wait, it actually starts at 7, so we should still start the night before.
These are the questions you will ask and the answers you will receive, during your first planning of a Saturday game. As a freshman or a newcomer at all, brace yourselves; the tailgate is only half of it. Once you're about 10 minutes away from kick-off, the stadium swarms with fans and becomes one massive wave of your school's colors.
Not only is the talent amazing, but so are the fans. Alumni and their children, students of all ages, and locals that have been bred in their team's colors join together.
There truly is no better place to be on a Saturday than in a stadium of an SEC game. Hearing almost a 100,000 people chanting the same cheers, watching members of all generations high-five for the greatest plays, and realizing you are a part of the greatest college athletic conference in the country.
The South has risen once again. And this time, they're wearing football jerseys, pulling around coolers, and their stadiums can be heard from a mile away.
God bless the SEC.
