With every James Madison University student screaming it from the rooftops, there's no way you haven't heard that ESPN College GameDay will be making a return appearance at the JMU vs. Villanova game this Saturday, October 14. However, this isn't the first time GameDay made an appearance at good ole James Madison. Back in 2015, GameDay came to James Madison and to this day the event is still talked about. We eagerly waited for them to announce their return, and now we've got it. Expecting this year's crowd to be even larger than the one in 2015, here's how we do College GameDay at James Madison University.
1. Make our posters.
It's never too early to start making those GameDay posters. Students have already made posters that say "Villanova waits for marriage" and "I tried to change my password to 'NOVA' but Gmail said it was too WEAK". The posters in 2015 were nothing short of creative and you can expect this year to be out of this world.
2. Buy everything purple and gold.
Trust me, our closets are full of nothing but purple and gold attire, but you can never have too much. We really do live purple and bleed gold, all day every day. Walmart, Target, the Bookstore, and University Outpost better get ready because we will be buying everything in sight between now and Saturday. Balloons, face paint, streamers, hair dye, glitter; if it comes in purple or gold, we need it.
3. Scream from the rooftop if we got a ticket for the game ahead of time.
I remember a friend of mine tweeting in early September "better get y'all's NOVA tickets today", and I am so lucky I went and grabbed mine because they sure sold out QUICK.
4. Become distraught if you didn't get a ticket.
The feeling of sadness that people feel over not getting a GameDay ticket is equivalent to the feeling of sadness we all had when the Jesse concert sold out within minutes. Luckily JMU students are able to return their tickets if they won't be attending the game, so there's still hope out there for those of y'all who weren't quite as lucky the first time around.
5. Camp out on the quad.
We know GameDay doesn't start until 9am Saturday morning; but if there's one thing Dukes are known for, it's rallying. We will be there all day Friday, and all day Saturday. Think you need a nap? Rally on.
6. Prepare to scream.
Between the fight song and yelling "J-M-U DUUKKKKEESSSS", if Monday morning rolls around and you still have your voice, you're doing something wrong.
7. Grab a drink.
Whether it be a Red Bull, Starbucks, or my personal favorite, Four Loko, you're going to need to grab a drink with some sort of caffeine in it because you'll be running on about zero hours of sleep the entire weekend.
8. Brag about our school.
Ask any student about JMU and they'll talk your ear off about why this is the greatest school in the country. ESPN GameDay coming back for the second time in a three year span is just another reason why we're all so proud to be Dukes.
