Ouachita Stories

If you’re anything like me, you love football, and you’re excited for an awesome season of Tiger football. However – also like me – you might find the thought of going to your first Ouachita football game intimidating. Where do you sit? What do you wear? What is there to eat? The last thing you want to do is keep any of these questions from hindering your Ouachita football experience. To make things a little bit easier, I’m going to share the answers to these questions and more.

Is admission free?

The nice thing about being a student at Ouachita attending sporting events is that every game is free. I would suggest having your student ID card with you in case the students working the gate ask. They usually don’t. Tailgate meals at Kluck Pavilion are not so free. Just like any meal in the Commons, have your card ready for a swipe. There will be all the good tailgate classics, as well as places to sit to eat. The glories of our Division II school include being able to bring your tailgate cuisine into the game. It’s a great time to be alive!

What if I missed the tailgate cuisine? 

Not everyone likes to go to football games super early. In this case, if the Kluck food is gone or the Pavilion is too crowded, don’t panic! There are plenty of good eats inside the stadium. At concessions, there’s a pretty standard menu of things like nachos, popcorn, hot dogs, candy and drinks. To the right of concessions is a Chick-fil-A tent. Sandwiches, cookies, chips, lemonade, and sweet tea galore can be found there. Across the way from the tent is the lovely grill, manned by our very own Mr. Scott. The grill includes the things you would expect at a grill, like burgers and brats. But they’re cooked by Mr. Scott, so they’re just automatically better.  

Where do I sit? 

Now that you’re in the stadium, it’s time to find a place to sit. This was the most intimidating part of the game for me as a freshman. Each social club has a designated section they save hours before the game begins. Thus, if you’re not in a club, it can be difficult to find somewhere to sit. Fear not! Towards the left in the middle, on the band side, there’s a section where you’ll find a lot of indies (short for “individual” or “independent,” Ouachita lingo for someone who’s not in a club). Also, once the crowd has settled, there’ll be room at the back of the club sections where anyone can sit. I’d suggest allowing people to find their spot before setting up camp there.

If the game is a big one (i.e., Battle of the Ravine, Homecoming or Tunes Reveal), your safest bet is to sit above the student section in general seating. While you’re not totally in the midst of student section action, you will have a seat. If tight spaces aren’t your thing, this is a great immediate go-to instead of battling the student section awkwardly as we all do at some point in our Ouachita career.  

What do I wear? 

I like to describe Ouachita football fashion as the medium between Southeastern Conference attire and “going to a basketball game with your parents” attire. While this makes sense once you’ve seen it, I’ll happily explain it for you like they do in the movies.

If your social media feeds have ever been bombarded with sorority girl gameday posts in which Southern fashion is on great display, you know the extent to which these girls go. Our football attire is a more toned-down version of this. Because we’re a Christian university and football games are often family affairs, use this discretion when choosing your clothing. In the year of our Lord 2024, women’s fashion “ins” include bandanas, boots with ribbons, denim rompers, a fun skirt and an assortment of buttons. We don’t have a clear bag policy, so any bag you want will be just fine. For the men, a good pair of khakis or jeans, boots and a polo or Southern Marsh shirt will do. The best description is the basic Southern frat man.

However, this is merely the norm; you have autonomy over what you wear.

I’m about to include a shameless plug, so you’ve been warned: Our very own Ouachita Campus Store has a station set up to the right of the stadium entrance. It’s filled with awesome merchandise you can buy to wear in fun, unique ways to the games or any other time you want. If your parents or family friends are visiting and want to rep the best, send them their way! *Queue end of plug* 

What in the world are they saying? 

Just like at any football game, there are the odd things people yell in specific scenarios. Don’t be too intimidated! These are like riding a bike: Once you know them, you know them. And sometimes you forget anyway, but you’ll remember quickly.

First, for every kickoff and punt return, we commence the most prestigious and professional of jazz fingers in the air. This is followed by a collective “woo” ... riveting.

The next is slightly more complicated, oddly enough. After each touchdown, which occurs every five minutes, the band will strike up the fight song. The student body will begin to slowly call “O-B-U,” spelling the letters with their arms. This is followed by yelling “Tigers!” and doing tiger paw scratches in the air.

There is nothing more humbling.

We repeat this twice, getting faster each time. At the end, we pump our fists yelling, “Go, Tigers, go!” and begin a sway and clap motion starting to the right. If you don’t have rhythm, again, fear not! I have the least rhythm humanly possible, and I can do this. Once you see it, you’ll understand.

Ouachita football culture is some of the best you can experience. Like any other school, it’s specific to us, but unlike any other school, it’s a special familial atmosphere that bonds you for life. There are no words to accurately describe this experience. It’s something you’ll just have to see for yourself. 

Every Ouachita Tiger has had their first football game experience. We were all once new to this, as well. We all have simply learned the culture and embraced it. Now it’s your turn! Don’t be scared and miss out on such a fun part of Ouachita life. Wear your stripes with pride and join us!  

If none of this information is new to you, that’s great too! If you spot a first-time fan at the stadium, take them under your wing and show them the ropes. We’re all in this together, and we can’t cheer on our Tigers alone!

Whether you’re making your first trip to Cliff Harris Stadium or planning a return visit down to the old stomping grounds, find game dates and times at https://obutigers.com/sports/football/schedule. Happy football season, and go Tigers!

 

Ellie Bennett is a junior communications & media/integrated communications and graphic design double major from Little Rock, Ark.     

 

 

Lead photo:  The crowd cheers in Cliff Harris Stadium at a Ouachita football game.  Photo by Meghann Bledsoe

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