Overtime!

On our drive to Columbus, OH, we passed by the football stadium at Bowling Green State University. Having lived in Muncie, IN and attending Ball State football games for three seasons, I (Matthew) admittedly have a soft spot for Mid-American Conference football.

 

“When do the Falcons play? We should go if it’s a night game!” As luck would have it, Bowling Green played a 7 P.M. game in Toledo against their in-state rivals.

After a couple of phone calls, and a few emails, we found ourselves with two tickets to the Battle of I-75 between the Bowling Green State University Falcons and the University of Toledo Rockets.

Upon our arrival into Toledo, we made a quick pit stop at the UT Student Bookstore, grabbed a couple t-shirts, made a Superman-esque change in the car, trading out our OSU scarlet and gray for UT yellow and blue.

In front of an energetic, sellout crowd in Glass Bowl Stadium, the Rockets beat their conference and state rivals 27-15.

From the Gameday Guru perspective, a few things can be taken away from the stadium atmosphere at a smaller school.

1. Even though the Glass Bowl is roughly one-third of the size of The Horseshoe at Ohio State, Rockets fans can be just as passionate as the Buckeye faithful.

2. The players’ interaction with the students and crowd gets people excited. The players ran straight to the student section during pregame, which fired everyone up. Before and after big plays, the players would raise their arms and look to the crowd to get the stadium excited, and the fans responded.

3. Having the band set up in the student section, and playing call/response songs with the students and fans before kickoffs and after first downs worked well to get the crowd involved. The volume of the band carried well throughout the stadium, which was also a big plus as far as atmosphere is concerned.

4. Recognizing a military veteran during a timeout always gives the crowd something to cheer about and keeps the energy up in the stadium.  And, in a later timeout, the UT Trivia Question of the Game took a shot at BGSU by asking a question where the answer was “All three of these majors are offered by the University of Toledo, but not Bowling Green,” a clever way to excite the crowd and fuel the rivalry.

Whether there are 100,000 people at the game, or 30,000, the Gameday Guru is always looking for games to go to and stadiums to study, even if that means playing a little bit of overtime!

Script Ohio

Tradition. The Horseshoe. The Best Damn Band In The Land.  Scarlet and Gray. The Ohio State University.

Without question, tradition shapes the game experience at Ohio State University. Every fan we talked with before the game valued the history of the school and its importance on gameday in Columbus.

The Ohio State stadium experience begins during pregame as highlight films showcase moments from current and former Buckeyes. The brand new video board in the south endzone gives fans, students, and recruits the ability to see the traditions that tailgaters mentioned to us during our interviews with them. Memorable touchdowns, legendary coaches, intimidating music, along with the dramatic band entrance from the north tunnel and the iconic dotting of the “I” in the script Ohio set the stage for the game versus the Cal Golden Bears.

As the teams took the field for kickoff, “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes filled the stadium, inciting the “Buckeye Bounce” in the student section.  The energy in the stadium early in the game was high, but as the game progressed, definite improvements could have been made.

During the game, the stadium atmosphere became too scripted. When Cal had a 3^rd down, “Hell’s Bells” rang over the speakers. If Ohio State kicked off, “Seven Nation Army” played every time.  Adding some variation to the playlist would have kept the crowd more energized and avoided the habitual feel on 3^rd downs and kickoffs.

The most notable omission from the stadium atmosphere was the under-utilization of the video board. While replays are a great asset for the fans to enjoy, greater potential exists to boost the stadium energy. In a back-and-forth game, where momentum can shift on a single play, the home team needs to do everything it can to keep it on their side. With about 3 minutes left in the first quarter, Cal scored a touchdown on 3^rd and 18. During the ensuing media timeout, the video board only showed game stats, no recorded music was played, and the band only played a brief song at the end of the time out. This was a perfect opportunity to use the video board to OSU’s advantage by showing an Ohio State pump up video to bring some positive energy to the stadium. A similar situation arose in the 4^th quarter when Cal took the lead for the first time, 21-20. Ads on the video board, and a generic filler song from the band, did next to nothing to excite the crowd.

Ohio State, however, did not grow into a national football brand without reason. The tradition and history of the football program undoubtedly created a unique atmosphere in the stadium. Outfitted in the recognizable combination of scarlet and gray, over 100,000 fans packed the stadium to be a part of the Ohio State experience. Before crucial defensive third downs, and after a Buckeye TD, the OSU faithful showed great enthusiasm and support towards their team by standing and cheering as the Buckeyes held off the Golden Bears.  All things considered, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Columbus, and can’t wait to see how this experience compares to other schools around the country.

Help us determine what goes into creating the best stadium atmosphere! Click HERE to fill out our survey!

(Block)-O-H-I-O!

Students: “Hey, Stadium!”… “O!”

West Stands: “H!”

North Stands: “I!”

East Stands: “O!”

Whether it’s starting the iconic O-H-I-O cheer around the stadium, jumping to “Seven Nation Army” before kickoff, or cheering on the defense with three fingers raised on third down, Block-O drives the energy in Ohio Stadium.

As the President and Vice President of the Leprechaun Legion at Notre Dame, we had a great time seeing how Block-O operates during a football game. With the Block-O Football Chair starting cheers over a microphone and speakers pointed at the rest of the students, the south endzone of The Horseshoe never lacked energy or noise.

Not to be lost in the scarlet, gray, and jersey-clad students was the Ohio State marching band. Drumline rhythms jumpstarted “Let’s Go Bucks!” cheers, and “Hang On Sloopy” always garners an energetic response.

The pageantry of college football brings students, fans, and alumni to stadiums around the country every Saturday. As the loudest, most energetic sections in these stadiums, students help create the spectacle of gameday. Block-O in the south stands of Ohio Stadium is no exception.

Hey Students! O-H!...


We also want your feedback on the atmosphere in the stadium! Click HERE to fill out a quick survey!

The Journey Begins...

As Notre Dame students, the outcome of the game between the Fighting Irish and the Wolverines doesn’t need to be brought up again. However, despite the heartbreaking loss, good did come out of this game for the two of us.  Experiencing the electric atmosphere in The Big House on the night of September 10, 2011, served as the launching point for Gameday Guru.

That night, Michigan didn’t just win on the field. They won for their stadium atmosphere as well. We didn’t want to, but we had to give Michigan credit - unheard of for a Notre Dame fan.  But more importantly, we started to ask ourselves why was that atmosphere so successful? What goes into creating such a noticeable home-field advantage? Is it the recorded music? The video board? The fans themselves? Why can’t Notre Dame be like that? We wanted answers.

So, for the remainder of the 2011 college football season, we began to take a closer look at Notre Dame’s stadium atmosphere. We conducted student focus groups, sent out a survey to the entire student body, and worked closely with the Athletic Department to identify areas for improvement. We became the Gameday Guru of Notre Dame football stadium atmosphere, and now we’re taking our stadium atmosphere research passion on the road.  

As part of an independent Directed Readings marketing class, we are going to take an in-depth look at the stadium atmosphere of elite college football programs around the country.

Our field research begins on September 15, in Columbus, OH, as we uncover the secrets behind the stadium atmosphere at The Ohio State University when the Buckeyes host California. On October 6, Eugene, OR will be the focus of our research as Autzen Stadium takes center stage when the Washington Huskies face the Oregon Ducks. Despite all the travelling, we can’t lose sight of our home base. We’re putting Notre Dame under the gameday microscope on October 13, when the Irish take on Stanford. Last, but not least, our final stop will be on November 10, in Tuscaloosa, AL when the Crimson Tide face Texas A&M.

At each stadium, we want to find out what makes these places unique. What do they do to create one of the best stadium atmospheres in the country? What recorded music do they play? How do they use their video board? How do the traditions and history of each college football program contribute to the stadium atmosphere? We could go on forever…

We have plenty of questions, and now we’re on a quest for the ANSWERS! The Gameday Guru is kicking off.  Check back regularly for updates on our research and for stories about what is sure to be one amazing experience!

Matthew Cunningham & Kristen Stoutenburgh