Last weekend I attended my first WIsconsin football game, UW vs Marshall, and it reaffirmed my disappointment in the student section/overall atmosphere of Northwestern’s football games.
Pregames
At Northwestern, most people pregame football games – at least those that go out - but often times it is in a dorm or house, while there is not an abundance of kegs seen outside, keeping a mindful eye on Desler and cops. There’s a good deal of grilling out and eating, but it’s not seen all over the place. Along the streets of Evanston, you’ll find a stream of purple walking from Northwestern’s campus to Ryan Field, about 3/4 of a mile away. Apart from that, there isn’t much going on outside, save some partying in parking lots.
At Wisconsin, you won’t be able to go past three houses without seeing a beer pong/flip cup table being utilized to it’s fullest extent outside. The cops don’t care about kids drinking unless they’re on the streets doing it, and people who live in houses near Camp Randall Stadium usually make around $100 selling parking spots in their driveways. Everywhere you look, there are people in red pregaming, eating something, or walking to the game.
The Game
At a Northwestern game, the student section is one corner of the stadium, where students get in for free by swiping their Wildcards (NU’s ID card). Often times, the student section doesn’t really fill up, and half the people at the game are cheering for the opposing team. The best example I can remember is when Michigan played at Northwestern last year, and half the stadium was yellow and blue.
Wisconsin, on the other hand, has a student section that goes from on corner to another, wrapping around the north end zone. Tickets to games can be bought – whether a student section seat or not – for anywhere between $30 and $150, depending on who’s playing. Looking around the stadium, there is a sea of red, with minimal fan support from the opposing school.
Important note: Northwestern only has around 8,000 undergraduate students, while Wisconsin has around 30,000, making the student section bigger.
Chants
Northwestern’s chants are pretty weak; here is a rundown of the basic chants, followed by when they happen:
In my opinion, Wisconsin’s chants are much more fun to be involved in, and here is how they happen:
Overview
Wisconsin football games are more fun to go to than Northwestern’s, and Bucky Badger is more intimidating than Willy the Wildcat. Needless to say, I would not trade Northwestern for the world. Only its football games suck.
GO U NU!
-dike
Recent Comments