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A Guide to the Student Section

As a four year veteran of the student section, I’ve seen a lot of awesome things in the student section as well as some things I wish I could forget. In order to make the student section as good as possible I’m going to share some tips to emphasize the good and hopefully prevent the bad.

  1. Dress Appropriately: First of all, for students, there are no special Maize Out games. Every game is a Maize Out, so wear your football t-shirt or other appropriate yellow garment (the disgusting mustard color from discount sporting goods stores is discouraged, but better than nothing). Also, the first few games of the year will test your endurance in intense heat and sun. I suggest either copious amounts of sun block or a stylish maize hat. If you are a hot girl, maize bathing suits are acceptable. Later in the year, especially with 3:30 starts, the game will begin warm and then get very chilly by the end (think ’04 MSU). Wear layers, always making sure the outer layer is maize.
  2. Be in Game Shape: I don’t mean this athletically, but fans do have certain responsibilities and you can’t cheer and scream if you’re passed out standing up. Some people enjoy pre-gaming or tailgating (I’ve been known to), but it’s important to keep it within reason in order to enjoy the game. Remember: by the second half you’re past drunk and entering hang over.
  3. Be Prepared: Especially with the early season games, I’ll grab a dollar bill and a hand full of change before I head to the stadium. Usually on Hoover, I’ll stop and buy a water, but I won’t open it. You will always be able to get un-opened water bottles into the stadium. Then, safely in the stands, I replenish my fluids, insert the coins into the water bottle and have a very effective noise maker.
  4. You’re with Students: The student section is not part of the family game day atmosphere. It is a teeming mass of 17-24 year olds hopped up on booze, hormones and fanaticism. Four letter words ought not be discouraged unless used in the least creative cheer ever (within the confines of the student section). That being said, mean-spirited slurs directed at opposing players or other fans are not cool.
  5. The Others: I’ve been to a few away games, but not in the stands at the schools who hate Michigan the most. It’s fun and usually those fans that travel are really great college football fan who most of us can relate to. That being said, if they are in the student section, jokes made about their intelligence, economic standing, sexual preference, sexual deviancy, facial hair, etc. drawn from widely accepted facts about their university are acceptable within reason. Getting in their faces after Michigan scores or physical attacks are bush league and not acceptable. You can support your team without giving its fans a bad reputation. This also means that outside the student section (and outside the stadium), you should a least be tolerant of other schools’ fans.
  6. Comfortable Shoes: The only acceptable times to sit down are before the band takes the field for pre-game, half time (unless the band does something exceptionally awesome) and after the game if you like being trampled. Also, if you hear The Victors, you should be standing, clapping, fist pumping, and singing: no exceptions.
  7. Don’t Be That Guy: If you are sitting below row 80 and hear a cow bell and say anything related to the Christopher Walken sketch on SNL lampooning “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult, I hate you. Freshman year it’s acceptable and funny for the first few games. Beyond that, seriously, that sketch was on like 8 years ago. Sure there isn’t a lot of cowbell-centric humor out there, but don’t just retread. Same thing goes for waving your Key-card on 3rd down. Not only is it not funny, it takes all that is bad with “key play” and leaves all the good (the pleasant jingling).
  8. Don’t Be That Brah: If you come in past kick-off, don’t expect to sit exactly where your tickets tell you your seats are. Actually, never expect that. Being off by one row or having to sit back towards the endzone slightly more doesn’t matter. You’ll enjoy the game just the same as well as not coming off as dick.
  9. Be Loud: Before every play on defense there should be such a raucous cacophony coming from the student section the offense just gives up and the QB punts on first down. Maybe this will never happen, but it is still the goal. Participation in all cheers is somewhere between mandatory and strongly encouraged. Take your breaks on a second down when Michigan has the ball. If you insist on participating in the “key play” nonsense, at least make a reasonable amount of other noise as well.
  10. Stay Positive: It makes the game much less fun when you’re bitching about every play on offense that isn’t a first down and every play on defense that isn’t a turnover. Games ebb and flow, stay centered maaaaan… If you really can’t help being negative, start making $1 bets with the person next to you (e.g. “$1 says we’re running a zone stretch left”). Either way you’ll lose.

If you have any suggestions for surviving and thriving in the student section, please leave them in the comments.

Posted under Analysis
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11 Comments so far

  1. Anonymous says...

    Anybody know a good place to park???

  2. RJHOVE says...

    “If you are a hot girl, maize bathing suits are acceptable”…somehow I don’t believe to many hot girls read this blog but it’s worth a shot.

  3. Jacques Auef says...

    also remember to bring lots of MARSHMALLOWS to throw!

  4. Obes says...

    you can’t throw marshmellows at the stadium anymore. the field is field turf and the marshmellows would melt into it. no marshmellows

  5. esipp says...

    Leave starting the wave to the students in the front of Section 31. And those students should only try to start it during the 3rd quarter, preferably during a TV timeout or when we’re on offense. (Defensive time is always reserved for making noise.)

  6. dpjosuns says...

    Regarding the wave…indeed leave it until the 3rd quarter during a timeout. I’d like to limit the wave until between the 3rd and 4th quarters if the game is tight.

    KEYS ARE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR VOICES. If you want to hold up your stupid keys on 3rd down, you better be yelling too! *I think the “key play” is a stupid idea*

    Yelling encourages yelling. If the people next to your arn’t into it, make sure you make extra noise for them. When they see you don’t care about what they look like, they’ll get the idea and start yelling too.

    If you leave Michigan Stadium after a game (win or lose) and you still have your voice, you have failed in your task.

    Bringing a water bottle is an excellent idea. Have been doing that too, works tremendously.

    Paul

  7. Anonymous says...

    My 5th year I got tickets in row 4, and this used to drive me nuts. Row 4, stands on row 3 because Row A doesn’t stand on anything and Row B stands on Row A. So every game the kids from Row 3 would try and kick us out of their seats in row 3.

  8. Anonymous says...

    Number 11.

    Don’t be the retarded frat guys behind me last year who didn’t know anything about football and kept acting like Lloyd Carr was calling all the plays (they’d never heard of an Off. Coordinator) and kept calling for Mallett. Yeah, more Mallett, plz!

  9. AnonymousBando says...

    Uh… about the Walken sketch… wait till the beginning of the 4th quarter.

    And we’re sorry.

    It was the Athletic Department’s idea.

  10. Denise says...

    First timer here…Where is Row B? I just bought tickets and they’re section 34, Row B. Am I going to be sitting on a metal railing or anything? Any extra info I should know?

  11. Tim says...

    Row B is the second row. You’ll be behind one layer of people, somewhere in the northwest corner along the back of the endzone.

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