At last year’s homecoming football game there were 7,034 fans, and that number was probably cut in half after halftime. This year, 10,759 fans showed up, and a majority of them stuck around until the final whistle.
It’s difficult for people to want to show up when a team is losing, and other than a couple of good years, that’s all Vandal fans have had to look forward to for the last 20 years. In the first season of head coach Jason Eck, Idaho is on a 4-0 win streak in FCS and sits at 3-0 in the Big Sky Conference.
In a stark contrast from last season, fans of all ages are showing up and sticking around. There were 5,214 fans at the 68-0 home opener win against Simon Fraser last season compared to 6,852 at the 42-14 win over Drake this season. The best part about this increase in numbers is that it isn’t just excited alumni, it’s students as well.
Whether it be volleyball, football or basketball, tickets are completely free for students. It’s baffling that students may be paying thousands of dollars to be here, but they don’t take the opportunity to attend games.
On top of getting out of the confines of a dorm room or apartment, it allows students to support other students. The players on the field or court aren’t professional athletes; they’re college students that attend classes and happen to have athletic ability. Going to all the different University of Idaho sporting events helps build culture and comradery across campus.
As thousands of students attend games, it’s also a great way to meet new people and make friends. What better way to make a new friend than chant “Portland’s not a state” together at the game on Saturday?
There are also a handful of students that sit outside of the student section in order to have a calmer experience. Find those students and get to know them. Don’t let the game day experience go to waste by not getting to know fellow Vandals.
These games are fun to go to even if you aren’t a sports fan. Getting to watch the band perform at halftime is great. Whether it is chatting along to the “Idaho Fight Song” or just listening to whatever mashup the band chooses to play, watching the band is another fun aspect to going to games.
If, for whatever reason, neither the atmosphere, game or band interest you, going to the games could also help you pay for college. So far at the two home football games, and one home soccer games, President Scott Green has given away multiple $1,000 scholarships to students who attended.
This has been an attempt to drive attendance for games up after the past few years of COVID-19 and less than stellar play from most Vandal teams. However, this year a lot of Vandal athletics have done quite well. Everyone is talking about head coach Jason Eck and his football team, but there is very little discourse about Vandal women’s soccer, who have been playing at an elite level.
The team is 10-3-2 and is defensively dominating their opponents. A large part of this is due to the play of freshman goalkeeper Kira Witte, who has 11 shutouts this season. While this soccer team is playing absurdly well, very few people show up to support their games. With only one game left before the start of the Big Sky tournament, Vandal fans don’t have much more time to support the team at home. They play Eastern Washington Oct. 23 at noon to close out their season.
Basketball is also starting up soon. Both teams officially kick off their seasons on Nov. 7 with away games, but they will each play a home exhibition game before then. The women’s team will play Seattle Pacific at 2 p.m. on Oct. 30, while the men’s team will play Evergreen State at 6 p.m. on Nov. 1.
The first official home men’s game being Nov. 10 against Walla Walla, with the first official home women’s game being Dec. 15. These games are also going to be free to attend for all UI students. If you’re not able to be at the games, it doesn’t mean you still can’t follow along. The Argonaut’s own Vandal Nation Twitter, Facebook and Instagram provide live coverage of each sport on campus.
This is a great time to watch the Vandals as they try to “wrap it up, put a big bow on it and say ‘Go Vandals,’” Ben Rae, UI alum of 1983, said.
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