Regardless of whether or not you are an athlete, attending a sporting event on campus is always a fun experience. The intensity of the game, being with friends and family, and Cardinal Pride all add to creating an atmosphere that fits in well with the strong athletic tradition at North Central.
And it’s easy to support teams that are doing well and guarantee to put on a show on the field or court. The football team is one of the teams that has lived up to all the hype this season, playing tough competition and fighting until the final horn.
The Cardinals are 2-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) after adding to the win column with a victory over North Park University. There are new faces stepping up and making an impact this season, something that fans do not want to miss.
So then why is the student population so sparse during at football games? Isn’t college football supposed to be the sport that brings the student body together to celebrate their love for their school?
It’s a culture that is lacking at North Central football games and something that the Athletic Department is looking to change this week.
The Marketing and Communications Department, as well as student workers from the Sports Information Department have come up with the idea for a Student Section at home games for all of North Central sports. The hope is that more students will attend not only football games, but also other sporting events on campus and spark a rise in attendance as well as support for fellow student athletes.
The College Union Activity Board (CUAB) as well as the Athletic Department, organized a student section Black Out this past Saturday for the game and the participation was disappointing. The designated student section was filled with parents and children with a few students here and there.
The football team not only displayed talent but also unveiled the new black out uniforms complete with sublimated numbers to only increase the intimidation factor.
I personally don’t understand why so many students do not attend football games. Personally, I work in the Sports Information and attend all the games, working stats in the box and conducting post game interviews. So perhaps I am just a total sports junkie or love it because it’s my job (and you’re supposed to love your job, right?) and cannot fathom why as a college student, someone would not attend a college football game.
Before getting involved with the student section project, I asked around to see what people thought about a student section or even what people think of North Central sports in general.
I got some interesting feedback.
Some students said that they did not have the time to go to a football game because they had homework or wanted to sleep in. Valid point EXCEPT that football games are usually at 1 or 2 p.m. on Saturdays. As I said, I work the games which means I get there an hour early and stay 30 minutes to an hour after. And I still manage to get my homework done.
Sorry, I have to say that’s not a REALLY good answer.
Just because North Central is “a small liberal arts school in the heart of Naperville,” it doesn’t mean our students cannot have a good time and be a part of the athletic tradition the school is known for.
Going to a sporting event, not just a football game, is a great study break.
“BUT IT’S WEEK FIVE, EMILY. I have to study for all these midterms and get my projects done.”
I know: I am a student here, too. Maybe instead of curling up with your laptop and binge watching a series on Netflix to take your mind off of the stress of Week Five, throw on your Cardinal Red and support our women’s volleyball team, our soccer teams, or football squad.
So what I’m getting at is this: our sports teams are REALLY good at North Central. These athletes put in countless hours both in season and in the off-season to put on for their school when they put on their uniform. Our school motto is “Be Central,” and that can carry over to athletics as well.
It’s a great day to be a Cardinal. Go and see for yourself at one of our sporting events!
