College football season is officially here.
This year marks the 150th year of college football and features a great opening match up between the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Gators.
Beyond the fandom, college football is special to me because it is how my wife and I met almost 15 years ago.
During that time, we have been to countless games, made amazing friends and seen 0 national or ACC titles for the U. Go Canes!
We’ve also spent some money supporting our team along the way. How else will these schools provide scholarships to the athletes and fund multi-million dollar training facilities?
Here are 5 tips I’ve learned along the way to make sure you don’t go broke supporting your team this year.
1. Plan Ahead - This one is a no brainer for a true fan, but if you are able to buy season tickets ahead of time, do it. For teams with loyal fan bases, waiting to buy tickets right before the game may result in a premium. For smaller schools or teams that aren’t doing well, you may be better off waiting to buy those tickets.
2. Buy Extra Tickets - Piggybacking off the prior tip, if there is a hot secondary market for your team, buy extra tickets for selling later. You may be able to subsidize the cost of your own tickets this way.
3. Sit within your means - Only buy tickets you can afford. At the end of the day, it really is just a game (perhaps I’m not that fanatical), but you are paying for an experience. The goal is to have fun, not stress about going into debt because you need to sit front row on the 50 yard line. If you are not comfortable sitting nosebleed, consider watching from the comfort of your home or with other tailgaters.
4. Tailgate - What’s college football without tailgating? Imbibe on all the food and beverages of your liking before game-time so you can avoid stadium pricing. If you don’t have tickets, bring a TV or find someone that does so you can still watch the game.
5. Have Fun - This tip won’t prevent you from going broke, perhaps it may do the opposite, but have fun. College football is a great time to remember your college days and support your Alma Mater or favorite school. It’s also marks the unofficial start of fall, which in South Florida means the average high is only 85 degrees.
So go make some new friends this college football season, talk smack, and have fun supporting your team.
GO CANES!
