Ok. So. Close your eyes and imagine this scenario. It’s your first college gameday of your college career. You’re excited, but also extremely anxious. You already have your outfit picked out and your ticket information saved to your phone. You’re absolutely ready. Mentally. But deep down inside you feel unprepared, scared even.
If you’ve ever felt like this, then this blog is specifically for you. Consider it a survival guide, or even a helpline for all of your gameday needs. Brought to you by seniors, who have experienced it all.
In an attempt not to overwhelm you with way too much information, I’m going to give the top 5 essentials needed to survive gameday. No matter the school, no matter the region, no matter the conference—these five essentials are crucial for any game day experience.
These are a few tips that I wish I had when I was preparing for my first gameday, so as long as you know these simple tips, you’ll be on the right track to surviving your first game day.
TIP #1: HYDRATION IS KEY AND IT STARTS WITH PREPARATION
To survive gamedays, hydration is our greatest friend and weapon. The sun is blazing, humidity is horrifying, and at the start of the season it’s one of the hottest times of the year. You’re constantly walking around outside, and the stadium is outside (in most cases). You have got to stay hydrated. You don’t want to be the one passed out on the side of the stadium due to heat exhaustion with a whole bunch of students hovering around fanning you. Right? Or being carried out due to heat exhaustion that caused you to be insanely unwell. Right? That’s not fun. And it’s a waste of a ticket. Please, don’t be that guy. This can be prevented.Â
In most cases it can be avoided and one of the remedies is by starting hydration early. Hydration starts the day before, and it’s not just water. It’s also about replenishing electrolytes. The night before, you need to have started the hydration process by drinking something that replenishes electrolytes (i.e., Gatorade, Powerade, or etc.). After finishing that bottle, you need to have started drinking multiple glasses of water. It always starts the night before. When it comes to hydration, it’s all about the preparation.
Hydration is a Necessity
Throughout my years going to college gamedays, every game, it never fails, I see people sitting down surrounded by fans and paramedics due to heat exhaustion and dehydration. I’ve seen so many people look so unwell due to not having the proper amount of hydration preparation before gameday. I’ve seen so many people having to be carried out in the first quarter just because of how dehydrated they are and how hot it is outside. We can’t change the temperature of the sun and the humidity, but we can change how we prep our bodies for these conditions to combat this.
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of starting hydration the night before. Starting the hydration process the day of the game is humiliating and the ultimate way to set yourself up for failure and embarrassment. How can you enjoy the game to the best of your abilities while simultaneously passed out due to heat exhaustion and dehydration? Replenish electrolytes, drink water, and repeat consistently. Your future self will thank you. And sometimes it’s just too hot that even with preparation you can feel yourself succumbing to heat exhaustion. If that’s the case, please don’t try to act like everything’s normal and continue to watch the game in the blazing sun. Instead, go find shade immediately. Sit down. Find some water, put it on your face, and drink some too.
TIP #2: CHOOSE YOUR SHOES WISELY
Everybody wants to wear the shoes that matches the outfit. I get it, I get it truly. But the number of girls I see that ends up taking off their shoes at kickoff or even at the tailgates is astounding. You are walking so much during gamedays, I’d even say to overestimate how much you’ll truly walk. Make sure whatever shoe you choose is comfortable for walking long distances. If you can’t even walk five minutes in them without foot pain, those are not the shoes for gameday. I’d rather be comfortable than have foot blisters and aching feet. However, if you are committed to your gameday shoe and you’re willing to suffer because of how nice the shoe looks (which I still don’t recommend), then I would suggest bringing a second pair of shoes in case you change your mind. Maybe even wearing extra socks or adding an additional sole to the shoe. In the end, I just suggest you evaluate just how good your shoes are for gameday. It is a lot of walking, and if you’re sitting in the student section, you’re never really sitting down. So just keep that in mind.
TIP #3: BE AWARE OF THE WEATHER
Constantly check the weather. The night before the game, make sure you check the weather. The morning of the game, make sure you check the weather. While brushing your teeth, check the weather. I can’t stress it enough; you need to be weather aware on gamedays. It’s imperative, so you can know how this may affect getting into the game and the gameday atmosphere in general. If it begins to rain, most stadiums don’t allow you to bring an umbrella in, so maybe bring a poncho just in case. If it’s sunny and humid, make sure you’re well hydrated and not dressed in warm clothes or layers to prevent heat exhaustion. Be weather aware to save yourself from an overload of gameday surprises.
Speaking From Experience: My Game Day Weather Nightmare
I’ve overlooked this rule before and I’ve payed the price. Last year, I went to the Reliaquest bowl in Tampa. My first mistake was trusting the weather app in the state of Florida. Multiple weather apps said that the rain would come later in the day, hours after the game. But as soon as the second quarter began it started pouring down raining. It felt like no one around me was prepared. The game continued but we were all drenched. It wasn’t just a mist, or a typical light rain, but this was the heaviest rain I’ve ever felt. The rain droplets were huge, and they were coming down so fast. I couldn’t see anything, all I saw was just water. The most insane rain experience I have ever experienced. I ran to the inside of the stadium where the concessions stands were but by that time it was too late, I was completely soaked.
Usually, you can’t bring umbrellas in, but they don’t say anything about ponchos. Ever since then, I’ve always had a poncho with me. No matter the weather app. It rained for 20 minutes then it stopped, then it rained again for even longer. The rain intermittently came and went for the rest of the game. It would go from extremely hot, to raining, to extremely hot again. Which is why I recommend checking the weather apps. Don’t be like me. Save yourself. Check the weather app and be extra cautious just in case its potentially wrong.
TIP #4: PACKING GAMEDAY BAGS
First and foremost, it must be a clear bag, so find your clear bag immediately. Don’t try to walk in the stadium with a regular bag, you’ll get turned away immediately. Get your clear bag and get it prepared for gameday. You can’t bring food and drinks into the stadium so don’t put anything like that in the bag. Make sure to have essentials like your wallet, your shaker, and for the girls, if you need to bring products for touch ups, whether for your makeup or hair, make sure you put that in the bag as well. Preparation is and will always be key! As we mentioned before, maybe consider bringing a second pair of shoes in the bag. But keep in mind the size of the bag and how much you can possibly fit comfortably in there.
If you don’t know where to get clear bags, I’d recommend checking the stores in close proximity to the campus. Campus bookstores typically have clear bags and so does stores like CVS and grocery stores, especially college apparel stores. Before I’d online shop for clear bags, I’d look at the stores that are near campus because they typically have a wide variety.
TIP #5: HAVE FUN
Don’t forget to relax, its gameday! At the end of the day, the main priority is fun! Whether you’re with your friends or going alone, gameday is an experience that is meant to be enjoyed. Have fun! Laugh, cheer on your team, be responsible but enjoy the atmosphere. There’s no other place like your schools gameday. No gameday experience is the same. So, soak it up. Enjoy the band, the fans, the tailgating, the pictures, and the game of course.Â
In the end, don’t stress out too much about gameday. You will never be 100% ready. And that’s okay. Just embrace the unknown and have fun. It’s an experience that you’ll remember for a lifetime. Game days shouldn’t be overwhelming and sad. No one should be sad on gamedays. Once you’ve made sure you have everything, just be happy and live it up. ITS GAME DAY!
