One of my very favorite things about fall is the start of college football season. Living in the beautiful Upstate of South Carolina puts me directly in the midst of the Clemson/Carolina debate. Fortunately neither my husband nor myself attended either school, so we can cheer for both. Unless they are playing each other…. which they do the last Sunday of the regular season. My husband attended the College of Charleston which he always refers to as the College of Knowledge. I have since learned that, while it is a lovely campus in a breathtakingly gorgeous town, it is not “officially” called the College of Knowledge as he had led me to believe. I also learned that way back when he went there, the girl-to-boy ratio was something like 15 to 1, and I’m putting my money on that as one of the main reasons he chose to go there.

I love college football. I actually love sports in general. I love baseball. I love my Atlanta Braves. People in the South love love love football, too. Try to plan an activity on a Saturday in the fall and you will be forced to look up the home schedules for your friends’ favorite teams. If there is a home game, your event will come second. My poor son is turning 9 this year….. the same day as the Clemson/Carolina game. We will have to have his birthday party another day whether he likes it or not.

Saturdays in the fall start early when Clemson or Carolina are at home. If it’s a noon game, people will begin to gather for their tailgating at 6am. I’m not kidding. And they eat, eat, eat. And drink, drink, drink. And talk about the team, dissecting each player, play and foible from how ever many seasons they can remember.

Is there a difference between football in the North and the South? So glad you asked!

FOOTBALL NORTH vs SOUTH

Women’s Accessories

North: Chapstick in back pocket and a $20 bill in the front pocket.

South: Louis Vuitton duffel with two lipsticks, waterproof mascara, and a fifth of bourbon; money isn’t necessary – that’s what dates/husbands are for, sugah.

 Stadium

North: College football stadiums hold 20,000 people.

South: High school football stadiums hold 20,000 people.

 Fathers

North: Expect their daughters to understand Shakespeare.

South: Expect their daughters to understand pass interference.

Homecoming Queen

North: Also a physics major.

South: Also Miss America. (ouch)

 Getting Tickets

North: Five days before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus.

South: Five months before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus and put your name on a waiting list.

 Getting to the Stadium

North: You ask, “Where’s the stadium?” When you find it, you walk right in.

South: When you’re near it, you’ll hear it. On game day, it becomes the state’s third largest city.

 Parking

North: An hour before game time, the university opens the campus for game parking.

South: RVs sporting their school flags begin arriving on Wednesday for the weekend festivities. The really faithful arrive on Tuesday.

 Tailgating

North: Raw meat on a grill, beer wtih a lime in it, listening to local radio station with truck tailgate down.

South: Thirty-foot custom pig-shaped smoker fires up at dawn.

 Concessions

North: Drinks served in paper cups, filled to the top with soda.

South: Drinks served in a plastic cup, with the home team’s mascot on it, filled less than halfway with soda, to ensure enough room for bourbon.

 When National Anthem is Played

North: Stands are less than half-full, and less than half the people stand up.

South: A hundred thousand fans, all standing, sing along in perfect four-part harmony.

 After the Game

North: The stadium is empty way before the game ends.

South: Another rack of ribs on the smoker. While somebody goes to the nearest package store for more bourbon, planning begins for next week’s game.

        excerpt from The Grits Guide to Life

Of course, this is a bit of an exaggeration in some areas. But not much. I think you’re just as likely to find a good ole Miller Lite in a cup down here as you are bourbon. What I’ve always loved about college football is the sense of tradition. The students, coaches, fans really and truly love their school and love it with a passion that is usually reserved for spouses and children. Teams may have a history of playing each other for over 100 years. Each game counts. A lot. Pride, lost voices, screams, cheers, frustration, joy… you’ll find it all during college football season. And I for one wouldn’t have it any other way.

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