When driving down the freeway, you may often see alumni license plates and flags boasting the drivers’ school colors and logo. Your best friend from college may treasure their tattered school hoodie like it’s their diploma. You might bond with a fellow alum coworker by discussing your alma mater’s March Madness prospects at the water cooler. Few things in this country inspire passion and pride like college affiliation.
For many, the "college experience" is enhanced by attending schools that have devoted athletic followings from its students and alumni, and prospective college students aren’t ignorant of this fact. In 2007, the year after George Mason made its improbable run to the Final Four, the university experienced an increase in admissions applications by more than 20 percent. The 50-year-old commuter school found a national identity using basketball. It became marketable to students who wanted the "college experience" to go along with their education. Twenty years down the road, when many of those same students are GMU alumni, they’ll be more likely to hold a connection to their university that was created during the good times of their basketball fandom.
Depending on the part of the country, different sports bring out different levels of support. During college football season in the South, Midwest and West Coast, thousands of students gather on campus in anticipation for the big game – often with complete strangers who share the same college affiliation. They fill stadiums that seat tens-of-thousands of their closest – and newest – friends for one cause: to root on the home team. At Louisiana State University, more than 150,000 people migrate to campus each Saturday during the fall for the purpose of tailgating. It’s a giant outdoor funfest and everyone’s invited. Even if they don’t like football, they get to drink, eat delicious Cajun food, burgers and hotdogs, and just kickback and party. At game time, more than 92,000 fans – about 15,000 of which are students – yell "Geaux Tigers" on first down and scream at the top of their lungs while the defense attempts to make a stop. By night’s end, everyone’s self esteem is undoubtedly affected by the outcome of the game.
There’s not one activity that would bring this many students or alumni to a single location; not even graduation. Attending a university sporting event is perhaps the most all-inclusive thing you can do on campus. People get to watch sports and have a reunion at the same time. Even alumni stay connected to their university when they live miles away by following their school’s athletic program and watching its teams compete on television. Major college athletics is what creates the everlasting bond between students, alumni and their schools – even more so than academics, their own career attainment and earnings.
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