Stepping from high school into college can already come with a bunch of culture shocks–you get to pick your own schedule, use communal bathrooms and walk 15 minutes in the blazing heat to get to your classes.
Whatever it may be, enough is already piled onto your plate for you to be worrying about football season.
When it comes to college football games, they can already be quite intimidating, especially since we’re repping a Division 1 school.
Most students’ biggest fear factor for games is what to wear. How should my hair be? Should I wear shorts or jeans? Is face paint weird? To answer all of your questions, simply, I would say: just wear red. That’s it.
It’s very easy to make your outfit the most complicated part of your Saturday, which is to each their own; however, it should not be the sole reason as to whether you even go or not. As long as you’re dressed comfortably, prepared for the heat and sporting the right colors, you’re good to go.
In all seriousness, there is a lot of anxiety when it comes to game day, typically in preparation. You might stress about where to get your ticket or where you’re going to park; the list goes on.
When it comes to parking, it’s really easy to experience some difficulties if not thought ahead. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers a single-game parking pass for $20, a season parking pass for $60 and a tailgating pass for $200. Important to note, though, is that all parking passes are paid for online and won’t be sold at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.
Yet like all college students, we aren’t made of money. Thankfully, Louisiana offers a lot of free parking options. Blackham Coliseum, Intramural Fields, the CGI Lot, the Lite Center and most popularly, the Cajun Field are all places where you can freely leave your car and walk to the stadium.
If parking seems too complicated, Louisiana offers a free shuttle that picks you up from campus, on Rex St., and to the stadium. This shuttle will be en route until one hour after the end of the game.
Now, spoiler alert, the first part of the game is not actually the game.
Yeah, you heard me right. It’s actually tailgating.
No matter what college you go to, there will always be a tailgate happening. At Louisiana, tailgating takes place on the practice field, right next to the stadium, starting four hours before kickoff.
Groups and organizations such as sororities, fraternities, ministries and even businesses, typically early on in the season, will appear with tents, serving food, beverages and sometimes games and prizes–it’s true, I won a hat one time.
Once the tailgate is over, it is officially game time. The gates will open at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium and you’re free to hit the student section, designated in Sections 106-108.
Don’t worry if you’re running late, they have an overflow seating area in the north endzone.
Now, at this point, I know you must be wondering what more I could possibly have to say but the game hasn’t quite started just yet. Before kickoff, Louisiana’s marching band takes the field playing the Ragin’ Cajun Fight Song.
While this is happening, Chi Alpha Campus Ministry runs the largest state flag across the field. As a D1 campus, we take much pride in everything we do, especially when no other school in the state can compare to the size of our flag.
The best part about this run is that it’s student-led. Before the gates open, students meet at Chi Alpha’s tent during the tailgate and enter the stadium about an hour before kickoff to prepare for the run. So if you’re looking for some last-minute hype right before the game, this is your chance.
Furthermore, everyone should be feeling some type of anticipation for this year’s season since we will finally get to experience the new stadium.
For those who don’t know, Louisiana has been working on a $65 million project–the newly built and refurbished Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. After a year and eight months of construction, the long, eager wait has come to an end, with new luxuries and a modern style incorporated. This year will definitely be one for the books.
Games typically last around three hours, so you will most definitely get hungry.
Thankfully, concessions will be sold the whole time, and even more so for those who have declining balance, because certain stands will actually use it.
Last but not least, the most important and the most forgotten information I have to share: tickets. Louisiana, as a college, uses mobile ticketing, and therefore, tickets have to be purchased digitally through a link sent to your school email or at ragincajuns.com.
As a student, you can attend games for free but you still must download either on the website or add it to your mobile wallet. If you have guests, their tickets will cost $10 each.
Overall, as a first-time freshman, it’s intimidating to walk into an environment where everyone else knows what to do but you. However, it truly is your mind that tricks you into overthinking all these little details, when in reality, it’s so much more laid back. I hope this guide truly helps you and allows you not to take such a fun experience and fill it with anxiety or worry.