This is where my stadium journey began in 2021. It was my first game back after almost a decade away from college football, and I went in without a plan. Solo trip, no traditions locked in yet. Just me, flying in the night before, straight into gameday.
Turns out some friends I’d met at a real estate conference earlier in the year (Florida fans) were there, so we linked up that morning to tailgate. One is a former Florida cheerleader and got us into the Gators’ basketball practice facility. Pretty cool to get behind the scenes for that, especially since I was the only one in Bama gear.
Then it was game time. Bama came into the Swamp as the #1 team in the country, jumped out to a 21-3 lead in the first quarter, and then had to sweat it out as Florida clawed back. Final score: 31-29. Crowded, loud, and I didn’t breathe easy until the clock hit zero.
This actually wasn’t my first trip to the Swamp, though. Found some old photos from 2007, when I visited buddies I’d deployed with. One of them was a student there, so I got the full college experience: bars the night before, tailgating, lots of fun energy. That was my first SEC experience, before I started to appreciate football. It took a few more years for to kick in. Fourteen years apart, completely different chapter of life. Enjoyed seeing the Gator chomp each time.