Gamedays. These are the days we look forward to the most in the fall, and are undoubtedly one of the best aspects of attending a school that takes such pride in its football team. While it is always sad to see summer go, knowing that football season is that much closer makes the move back to Tally worth it.               

It has always been known that getting a student ticket can be a process and a competition, and now that we are National Champions, the battle is that much more intense. With a great lineup of home games this season, those lucky students need to realize the importance of using their tickets and staying for the whole game. Yes, the WHOLE game.   

If you ever grew up playing any type of sport, you probably remember the feeling of looking around in the crowd to see an empty set of bleachers at least once in your life. Let’s face it, that feeling sucked. Sadly, this is what happens at almost every FSU home game.             

Yes, it is hot and sweaty in the student section, and yes, you probably have to see and smell things you would have rather avoided, but that’s not reason enough to disappoint our team that works so hard to represent us. Since 2009, our student attendance has fallen by 6.1%, according to a study done by the Wall Street Journal, while schools such as Georgia has increased its attendance by 20%.             

When you ask students whether or not they are going to the game, most likely they will say, “If I can make it”. This indecisiveness and nonchalant attitude about attending the game is why our student attendance has fallen. While it is easy to get lost in the tailgating and lose track of time, it is important for students who were able to get a ticket to realize the importance of that ticket. By not attending, a student in window three who loves everything about football, missed attending the game of a lifetime simply because you were only going to go “if you could make it.”             

But the main problem during Florida State home games is the mass evacuation of students at half time. While some might be leaving to go to the restroom or get a Chick-fil-a sandwich, the mass herds of students are leaving for no reason. In their minds, they came, they saw, they conquered.             

So why stay at the game until the end? Just as Offensive Lineman Myles Davis said, “I think it is important just because, mentally, when you run back out of the tunnel after halftime and see half the crowd gone, it just throws you off a bit and takes your mind off of the game.”       

If you remember that crappy feeling as a child, than that is exactly what we, as students, are doing to our team. While we may not be experiencing what our players get to experience ON the field, it is important for us to remember that we should represent and support our team just the same OFF the field, and in the stands for that matter. Standing for hours on end can be tiring and sometimes all we want after a long day of tailgating is sleep and some much needed hydration, but staying for those last extra plays could make our team push through an intense fourth quarter in games to come. 

Ahem. Can you say Clemson?