The gold standard for the game-day experience is in college football stadiums every Saturday night. Players, coaches, fans, and reporters all show up early to prepare. While fans are grilling burgers in the parking lot, coaches are grilling players on formations and tendencies. Everyone involved has a plan and a vision for how the night is going to go.
The day tends to slowly build as everyone goes through their routines. Upon arriving at the stadium, the players are loose and casual, the coaches are entertaining donors, recruits, and reporters, and the fans are high fiving and hugging as they pick their tailgate spots. Slowly things start to build as the players get dressed and take the field for warm ups, coaches start locking in and focus their players on the game instead of who is in the stands, and fans buckle down to get the party started. Shortly before kick-off the players return to the locker room, the coaches review their notes and have position meetings, reporters gather and discuss their predictions, and fans clean up and head to the gates to get their seat. A buzz starts to circulate the stadiums and excitement builds to that first kick-off. Everything’s coming together. No one knows how the night is going to go, but everyone knows the opportunity for something special exists.
A few minutes before the game, trainers are finishing taping ankles and wrists, coaches are pulling players in for group meetings, and the head coach is going over his final notes. Captains head out to the field for the coin toss and the band finishes their routine and settle in for the National Anthem. As soon as the anthem finishes the music starts playing, the scoreboard starts the hype video and the player start lining up in the tunnel. The whole stadium is whipped up into a frenzy and you can’t help be caught up in the excitement. This is it, this is the moment. All at once, at the same time as if cued by some invisible force the mascot tears out of the tunnel, the cheerleaders scramble to keep up while waving huge flags, and the team charges out of the tunnel. The coaches take a professional jog to their places, but even they can’t resist getting caught up in the excitement with big chest bumps and helmet slaps. No matter how the game goes, this was it. This was the moment. Everyone is charged up and as players line up for the kickoff everyone in the stadium is emotionally ready to charge down the field and make that first big play.
You cannot buy this kind of an experience and emotional rush, but there are a few products you can invest in to help bring this experience to your home crowd regardless of the size. Below are a few of our game day cheer products that you might see on Saturdays that you could incorporate into your game day to elevate your experience regardless of what day of the week it is.
FIELD RUNNER FLAGS
Custom field runner flags can be produced anywhere from 5’x3’ to 12’x8’ as shown in the photo above from Miami University. Paired with our telescoping pole, these lightweight flags fly beautifully as cheerleaders take off down the field leading the team. In addition to leading the team onto the field, you often see these going down the sidelines after a big play or score. The flags and poles are easily condensed for easy portability to away games or for use inside the gym. Most customers get a large flag with the logo and then a set of flags that spell out their initials or team name.
BREAKAWAY BANNERS
Built for its use, breakaway banners have a strong reinforced seam in the middle which is made for players to break through. By using a lightweight but sturdy pole on each side, the middle of the banner is attaches by a reinforced Velcro seam. Similar to the Kool-Aid man busting through the wall, this makes for an awesome entrance for any team.
STADIUM FLAGS
Going back to Roman times, the stadium was decked out with flags around the top of the stadium. Use stadium flags around the pressbox and seating sections to claim your territory. Virtually every stadium is surrounded with fencing across the top which is perfect to mount flagpoles and flags. The stadium is where everyone gathers, help make it be seen from miles away.
If you have ideas for adding energy to your team entrances through graphics, give our team a call. We can put together free proofs and quotes to help give you an idea what is possible!