For seven Saturdays a year, Alumni Stadium becomes my home. Its 44,500 seats are more inviting than my own bedroom. Everyone sitting there (or standing and cheering) with me becomes my family in what is easily the greatest reunion that I can ever be a part of.
Alumni Stadium, which sits on Boston College's Lower Campus, is home of the Boston College Eagles football team. By college stadium standards, it is on the small side. Of the twelve teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, BC's Stadium ranks ninth in capacity. That said, it's a wonderful place to see consistently exciting football.
The parking lots and, to an extent, the entire campus, becomes a party on the day of the game. The tailgate festivities are tremendous, and reflect the love of seafood and slow-cooked meats that make New England cuisine so much fun. A live band plays near one of the dining halls, the cheerleaders roam campus and the football team engages in an "Eagle Walk" to the stadium two hours before game time. Imagine a 45,000 person block party. The atmosphere is outstanding, as the amount of love BC fans have for their school is on display in every conceivable way.
Inside the stadium, the food is fairly cheap and very good. Sausage sandwiches and hot dogs abound. As of this year, vendors now roam the aisles with drinks from insulated backpacks. The student section takes up about a quarter of the sidelines, clad in their yellow Superfans shirts, and they do get loud. They stand for the entire game, though most of the other fans stay seated until big third down defensive plays. For a stadium of its size, the noise generated is big.
In the Northeast, where college football isn't as religious an experience as elsewhere, BC is the only bigtime football school for 300 miles. (No, Rutgers doesn't count, so don't ask. And sorry Syracuse, really.) As such, it's really the only game in town, and absolutely worth seeing. It is a different kind of vibe than any of the other sporting events in this, the greatest sports city in the country. If you've never been to a college football game, Alumni Stadium is a wonderful place to see your first.
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