The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Warning: If you are a fan of the Georgia Bulldogs, the Florida State Seminoles, the Tennessee Volunteers, the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Auburn Tigers or War Eagles or whatever you are, or the Buckeyes of the University of Florida at Ohio, you may want to stop reading now. Actually, you may still enjoy this post...just try to see past our differences :)

{source}

You guys. I love football season. There's just something magical about the combination of timeless tradition and bittersweet nostalgia surrounding this time of year that makes me feel a familiar warmth. Don't you just feel the excitement swell up in your chest when you hear your fight song? Don't you feel an instant lifelong bond when you see someone else decked out in your team's gear even if you're states away from those wonderful memories? Can't you just smell the grills all fired up on Saturday? Isn't your mouth watering for that frosty cold solo cup full of cheap beer or, if you're from the SEC like I am, bourbon? And if you're a Gator, I'll bet you can't help but grin from ear to ear just thinking about the end of the third when someone stands next to you, wraps their arm around you, and starts to sway.

College football is so much more than a sport. For those of us who follow it religiously, it's a significant part of our identities. It's our history and our future plans. It's our favorite tradition and our new away game road trip. And here in the South, it's a focal point of our culture.

I didn't grow up a football fan. I chose to go to the University of Florida because it was the best school that I could go to for free. I was told I should try to get season tickets for football, so I did. I didn't really see what all the fuss was about, but I figured if anything, it would help me make new friends. The second those boys ran on the field at the beginning of that first game my freshman year, something inside me ignited. The thrill was contagious, and I couldn't help falling head-first.

I attended UF during a particularly exciting era in Gator history. I saw the firing of Ron Zook and witnessed the hope we placed in Urban Meyer. I saw an incoming freshman named Tim Tebow play at the Orange and Blue spring scrimmage game and knew he was going to be someone worth watching. I had season tickets for four years, I traveled to a couple of games outside of The Swamp, and of course, I'll never forget the night my friends and I rallied at a local bar to watch our boys win a national championship in Arizona.

Obviously, life as a Gator hasn't been so sweet as of late. But I grew up a Red Sox fan, so I know that shining victories only appear so bright after spending some time in the dark. And even if this isn't the year we turn it back around, college football is about more. It's about the years I spent in that stadium.

It's about graduating from a place that meant more to me than the town I grew up in.

It's about a place where I created new lifelong friendships, and gained a deeper bond with old friends who have become more like family.

It's about connecting with fellow alumnae in a far-away place that would someday become home...even if it was in enemy territory.

It's about celebrating the future of Gator Nation, the accomplishments of our young alumni, and the goals we have yet to achieve.

It's about the town where I met some guy at a mutual friend's party...

{source}

...with no way of knowing that I'd marry him someday.

{source}

Are you as excited for football season as I am? What traditions are your favorite? What memories do you tie to the game?