Watching and cheering on college football is a birthright in Texas and whether they wear scarlet red, maroon or burnt orange, the traditions that go along with game day are just as important as the actual game. Once you read this, you’ll be dying to partake in some of our favorite traditions that help make college football in Texas such a unique experience.
The Baylor Line
Baylor’s best tradition is one that students at other colleges can only dream of having. Before a home game, freshmen decked out in gold jerseys with their graduation year adorning the back, storm the field to form a human tunnel for the football team to run through. After the magical moment, the crowd goes through the tunnel and sits on the first 13 rows behind the visitors bench from one goal post to the other – talk about intimidation!
Midnight Yell at Texas A&M
Texas A&M is known for its traditions, so no list is complete without mentioning their most famous one: the Midnight Yell. Before every game, fans and student body alike gather at Kyle Field or a specified location if it is an away game, to join in on this long-standing practice. The Yell Leaders, Corp of Cadets, take to the field and are joined by the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band to lead the Aggies in practicing yells, telling jokes about their opponent, and in singing the War Hymn. Towards the end, all of the lights are shut off in the stadium so everyone can kiss their dates. If you’re single, don’t worry, bring a lighter (basically the equivalent to tinder here) to shine and find someone to smooch!
Wrapping Will Rogers and Soapsuds at Texas Tech
You know it’s game day in Raiderland when you see Will Rogers and Soapsuds wrapped in crepe paper in front of campus! Saddle Tramps, a male organization that supports men’s athletics, can be found at this famous statue every night before game day dressing Rogers and Soapsuds in this signature look. It is said that Rogers is riding west, but if that were the case, Soapsuds’ posterior would face downtown Lubbock; to fix this, they turned the statue 23 degrees east so his posterior would now face Texas A&M.
The World’s Largest Texas Flag at University of Texas
Everything is bigger at Texas! The UT Alpha Phi Omega chapter owns the world’s largest Texas flag and during UT football games, ΑΦΩ runs the flag, measuring 100 by 150 feet, onto the field. The flag also makes debuts during the Cotton Bowl and the famous UT vs OU rivalry games! This tradition isn’t just about school pride, it’s about Texas pride.
“Boulevarding” at SMU
Tailgating is an essential college football rite, but one school claims to do it better than the rest: SMU. They are known for their famous boulevarding, or tailgating to the rest of us. You’ll find everyone dressed to the nines in SMU red and blue (no t-shirts and jeans here) in tents that line Bishop Blvd., A.K.A. “the boulevard,” where the student body, alums and fans all gather to party it up before the game!
