|
Volume CXXXIII, Number 7 |
 |
DIII may not be ESPN-worthy, but it offers that "feel"
KATHERINE S. HAYES
CONTRIBUTOR
Over fall break, I traveled to Virginia and was fortunate enough to be given tickets to attend the University of Virginia vs. Florida State football game. The game was definitely like no other sporting event I had attended, and was certainly different from the Bowdoin football games played here at Whittier field. But, despite the impressive crowd of 30,000 fans and the ESPN coverage at the Virginia game, I find myself having a deeper respect for Division III athletics than I did before with a special appreciation for the football teams at small liberal arts colleges.
Two weeks ago, I flew out to Gambier, Ohio where my boyfriend plays football for the Kenyon Lords. (Kenyon College is a small liberal arts institution much like Bowdoin, except situated next to cornfields instead of the ocean). Friday night was the big homecoming game against their archrival. Football is a popular pastime in the Midwest, and the traditional quality was definitely felt in the atmosphere. The Kenyon crowd consisted of about 200 fans, but a very enthusiastic 200 fans. There were the 50-year alums sitting in their sport coats and ties, the young alumni socializing among themselves and their recent spouses and newborn babies, and the devoted students all sporting the college colors. Not to mention that every fan in the crowd had either a cow bell or a purple pom, and although Kenyon doesn't have a cheerleading squad per se, a cluster of eager little girls, no doubt the future cheerleaders of Division III football, stood in instead and created their own cheers for the team. Give me an L...O...R...D...S... what does that spell? L-O-R-D-S. I was most impressed by the parents of the players themselves. The Kenyon players were students from all over the country, but it didn't stop their parents from flying in from these different states. A tailgate party was planned, and all the parents attended, proudly wearing their sons' football picture buttons on their lapel. A resident of the college town was there as well, having taken an interest in the young men, and being impressed by their academic dedication as well as their effort on the field.
As one can imagine, the experience I had in Gambier was quite different than the one I had at UVA two weeks later. Florida was ranked number seven nationally for their division which made this game a highly anticipated match against the Virginia Cavaliers. Instead of 200 fans, there were 30,000, and instead of local residents there were residents from all over the state. It was difficult to notice who exactly the true fans were, when I was overtaken by the mass wave of orange flooding the stadium. There were two sets of cheerleaders, one for each end line, and a big screen displaying words to the University's alma mater and showing ESPN commercials. Without a doubt, this atmosphere was different in almost every aspect from the one I had participated in the week before, the only common thread being the sport.
Finally, last weekend was Bowdoin's own Homecoming and the traditional football game. This time, I was a spectator with a newfound appreciation for the small liberal arts college football program. The large, Division I football games are undeniably exciting; the size of the crowd generates such enthusiasm that any spectator becomes lost in the fervor of the fans.
But the Bowdoin game had a personal touch that football games at bigger universities lack. The players are out on the field because they love the game, and their passion for the sport can be felt merely by watching them play. And there may not have been a halftime show, but there was the traditional Bowdoin Brass Quartet; There wasn't a flashy screen displaying the school song lyrics, but there were lots of little kids proudly displaying polar bear paw prints on their cheeks in support of the Polar Bears. I don't think that one can deny the personal and positive contribution this makes to a small school's sporting event.
Comparing Division I to Division III football, the sport is the same, but the games are completely different. My boyfriend was worried that I would go to the Virginia game after watching his, and think DIII football was feeble in comparison, but in fact, I found quite the opposite. I found that although the dynamics of DI and DIII teams are different, all football players are equally dedicated to the sport. I also noted that the fan base at Division III games may appear smaller, but only in numbers, not in strength. In fact, the faithful alumni and supportive students show personal loyalty to the team. And in my opinion, this is more important than the game being shown on ESPN.
|
FastCounter by bCentral |