I love football. As a die-hard Crimson Tide fan, nothing makes me happier than hearing “First Down, Alabama! Roll Tide!” ring across the crowded Quad from Bryant-Denny Stadium. When I wake up early on those fall Saturday mornings, my mind is sharp, my game day polo is washed, and my cooler is ready to go. At a school like the University of Alabama, the energy surrounding football and tradition is tangible. It is a passion held close in the hearts of alumni, students, and fans all across the country.

However, like most good things, football season eventually comes to an end. Regardless of the final outcome, we remember the season fondly. And while it may continue on in our heart and our News Feeds, we find ourselves halfway through the school year with misplaced school pride and more free time than we know how to handle. Basketball and Women’s Gymnastics help to fill the hollow void, but something just isn’t the same.

As a freshman finishing up my first year at the Capstone, there is a lot I still don’t know. I may not know all the best places in town to eat, or about all of the clubs Alabama has to offer. I may not know where certain bus routes go, how to make it across campus in ten minutes, or even the perfect place to cram for a Thursday morning test. But when I first laid eyes on Sewell-Thomas Stadium, I knew right away I would be spending many of my free nights watching baseball under those dazzlingly bright lights.

Also known as “The Joe,” Sewell-Thomas Stadium is named after two famous Alabama baseball alumni — Hall of Famers Joe Sewell and Coach Frank Thomas. The Joe is located next to Coleman Coliseum, and tickets for home games are free for students who sit in the grassy terraces behind right field. As a student, this is a great opportunity to go out and have a good time with both friends and family. It's also perfect for an affordable date night with your significant other!

Walking up to the stadium, it’s hard not to feel the nervous energy that accompanies watching your favorite team play under the lights. As I make my way down the crowded sidewalk and closer to the student section, I feel light and buoyant with enthusiasm. It’s going to be a good game. Both teams conduct warm-ups while family and friends sit down together for the first time today.

As the National Anthem plays and fans stand with caps in hand, all feels right with the world. Nearby, someone returning to their seat nearly drops their plate full of pulled pork nachos.

Friends laugh and steady him, joking about it almost being their dog’s lucky day. A gentle breeze blows out towards center field as the game begins. Walk up music from the loudspeakers fills the stadium to near maximum capacity as the first batter steps to the plate. Baseball has been America’s pastime for decades, just as the University of Alabama has been the state’s primary source of sports entertainment.

Together, it all just seems too perfect.