It is finally here, the final GameDay Experience is about to be unveiled. About four months ago, I felt it would be fun to relive my College Football experiences and share with everyone my top ten College Football GameDay experiences. I wanted to share my thoughts and views on the top 10 places I have been. I have had so many different college football experiences and it is so interesting to see the differences of each fan base. For example, it is a lot of fun to watch the interaction of Big Ten fan bases with Pac-12 fan bases. So far, my top ten has consisted of Iowa City (Iowa Hawkeyes), Madison (Wisconsin Badgers), Knoxville (Tennessee Volunteers), Lincoln (Nebraska Cornhuskers), Eugene (Oregon Ducks), Gainesville (Florida Gators), South Bend (Notre Dame Fighting Irish), Columbus (Ohio State Buckeyes), and Ann Arbor (Michigan Wolverines). My number one GameDay Experience was an easy one. There is nothing better than going to this venue on Jan 1st, or this year Jan. 2nd, and tailgating on a beautiful sunny day in Southern California. It is known as "The Granddaddy of Them All." This is the Rose Bowl and game day in Pasadena.
1. GameDay Experience in Pasadena- (Rose Bowl)
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| 2010 Rose Bowl- Ohio State vs Oregon |
There are just some things that you can't get out of your head when you think of the Rose Bowl Game. It was the legend himself, Keith Jackson, announcing the Rose Bowl every year and mentioning it was "The Granddaddy of Them All." Jackson would also say, "We are here at the Rose Bowl, overlooked by the San Gabriel Mountains." We can all remember when he announced his last game on ABC at the Rose Bowl and he said these very words "He's going for the corner, he's got it!" "Vince Young scores." It's moments like these that make this game so special. It is also the pageantry and tradition of the Rose Bowl Parade and the annual Big Ten-Pac-12 match-up. There are some things you just need to experience in life, and this is one of them.
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| 2012 Rose Bowl- Wisconsin vs Oregon |
I have been fortunate enough to have attended two Rose Bowls in the last three years. Thanks to Chip Kelly and the Oregon Ducks, I was able to attend the 2010 and 2012 Rose Bowl Games. The experience of getting to the Rose Bowl really early in the morning and tailgating on the golf course is an experience in itself. You make friends with the people setting up their tailgates next to you, and you even end up tailgating with opposing fans. This past Rose Bowl, when the Ducks faced the Badgers, we ended up tailgating with Wisconsin fans and had Duck vs Badger drinking games. The tailgating atmosphere is truly an amazing experience and something that you will always remember.
After tailgating, everyone makes their way into the Rose Bowl. It is very old, so it takes awhile to get thought the tunnels. When you finally make your way through the tunnel though, it is one of the greatest sites in all of College Football. I honestly had chills both times, because I understood the history surrounding this very game and had watched the Rose Bowl since I was a young boy. Everything about the stadium is great, except for the bleachers, which have had their better days. I heard a renovation is coming though, so hopefully the seating will improve. If you have nice sunny weather and a close game, it will for sure be one of your greatest memories as a College Football fan. In my opinion, the Oregon-Wisconsin game is one of the greatest games I have ever attended. It was back and forth the whole game and the the electricity in the stadium was great. Nothing can top an experience like that of the Rose Bowl.
Games attended at the Rose Bowl:
1/01/2010 CFB Ohio State 26, Oregon 17 (Rose Bowl) Pasadena, CA * ESPN College Gameday
1/02/2012 CFB Wisconsin 38, Oregon 45 (Rose Bowl) Pasadena, CA
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