The Belles of Saturday are devoted to the traditions of Saturdays (and occasional Thursdays) in the South. We discuss everything from gameday fashion to offensive pass interference to tailgating must-haves. Focusing on the teams and towns of the Southeastern Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference, we will cover everything that makes Saturdays in the South so special and exciting
Traditions: The Byrd Blackout, once a year the whole student section wears black, Line Terp Alley, "Get Your Keys Out," chant "Move Those Chains" chant, cannon being fired after every score
Famous Alumni: Gayle King, Guiliana Ranic, Connie Chung,
Biggest Rival: Virginia Tech
Where to Stop for Food: Bentleys, Cornerstone, Buffalo Wild Wings
Where to Watch the Game if You Don't Have a Ticket: Bentleys, Cornerstone
Where to Party After A Win: Bars on Rt 1 or house parties
Big thanks to my friend Meaghan for helping me with this! If you have anything to add, please email us and we'll add it on here.
Famous Alumni: Burt Reynolds, Lee Corso (College Gameday reporter), Mack Brown (University of Texas Head Coach), Jim Morrison, Charlie Ward, and Chris Weinke
Traditions
Chief Oscelo riding Renegade onto the field, throwing a flaming spear at midfield. War Chant. Bobby Bowden. Marching Chiefs.
Where to Tailgate
Campus fills up with tailgaters every Saturday. Any spot on campus is ideal. Many of the students tailgate in the lots across from the stadium.
Where to Celebrate
Hit Tennessee Street near campus and do the old "Tennessee Waltz," moving from bar to bar down the strip.
A friend of mine in law school attended FSU and this is what she had to say about games...
FSU is a beautiful, truly breathtaking stadium, and I don't think there is any greater place to watch a college football team. That moment when the band starts playing the War Chant still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.
Wearing coats and ties/sundresses to games. UVA was an all-men's school at the undergraduate level until 1970, so football games were big events around Grounds. Women from nearby Mary Washington and Randolph-Macon were bused in for the weekends. Coats/ties took a bit of a hit in the 2000's with Al Groh, because he implored the student body to wear orange rather than dressing up. But to spite Groh and his fault in our program's fall from relevance, many more students are bringing back the old tradition.
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Good Ole Song {sang to the tune of Aude Lang Syne} is the fight song. Whenever UVA scores, everyone puts their arms around each other and sway, singing "That Good Ole Song of Wa-hoo-wa, we'll sing it o'er and o'er, it cheers our hearts and warms our blood to hear t hem shout and roar, we come from Ole Virginia where all is bright and gay, let's all join hands and give a yell from Dear Ole U-V-A...Wa-hoo-wa! Wa-hoo-wa! Uni-V Vir-gin-i-a! Hoo rah ray! Hoo rah ray! Ray Ray UVA!
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Secret Societies
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Streaking the Lawn
Top Tailgate Spots
The Lawn and The Range, where top 4th year (instead of senior) undergraduate housing is located. It is the original Grounds (referred to as the Grounds instead of Campus) that TJ designed. Fraternity tailgates are popular due to their proximity to Scott Stadium.
Where to Celebrate
The Corner, the main bar strip, or back to the Lawn. An older grow will gather at the Downtown Mall
Where to Watch if You Don't Have a Ticket
Any of the bars on the Corner - Biltmore, Boylan, Heights, Trinity, and Mellow Mushroom
Traditions: The “Ramblin Wreck” leading the team onto the field before kick-off. The fight song: “I’m a Ramblin Wreck from Georgia Tech and a helluva engineer…” Singing of “The Budweiser Song” between 3rd and 4th quarters. The steam whistle blowing after every first down and victory. Players walking down Yellow Jacket alley before the game.
Famous Alumni: Jimmy Carter, Jeff Foxworthy, Calvin Johnson, Mark Teixeira, Chris Bosh, David Duval
Biggest Rival: University of Georgia Bulldogs “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate rivalry”
Where to Stop for Food: Since Bobby Dodd Stadium is located in the middle of Atlanta, parking is a premium, which in turn cuts back on some of the tailgating. If you are one of the unlucky few to not find a spot to tailgate, many fans swing through “The Varsity” for their pregame meal. The Varsity is located a few blocks from the stadium and is an Atlanta landmark that was founded in 1928. Today it is one of the world’s largest drive-ins and serves nearly 30,000 Tech fans on game days.
Where to Watch the Game if You Don't Have a Ticket: STATS, Taco Mac, Hudson Grille
Where to Party After A Win: Rocky Mountain Pizza, Atlantic Station, Buckhead
Big thanks to my friend Elizabeth's brother, Will, for giving us all the inside information for this post! We really appreciate it!
Football Stadium: Wallace Wade Stadium (Wallace Wade Stadium is the only stadium outside of Pasadena to host the Rose Bowl. This was right after Pearl Harbor had been attacked and they were scared for the safety of the spectators)
Famous Alumni: Richard Nixon, Melinda Gates, Mike Posner, Andy Baldwin and Travis Stork (you'll remember them from The Bachelor a few years ago), Kara DioGuardi, Elton Brand, JJ Redick, Shane Battier, Jeff Capel, Jay Williams, Tim Cook
Biggest Rival: UNC (Only located 8 miles apart)
Traditions: I haven't found any traditions that are football related. Most of Duke's traditions, are centered around basketball. (Camping out, bonfires...)
Where to Watch the Game if You Don't Have a Ticket: Satisfactions, Devines, Tobacco Road, Charlie's. But you won't ever have trouble finding a ticket to a Duke football game. But for basketball... you'll have to campout... for a week at a time
Where to Party After A Win: Downtown Durham (Tobacco District), Charlie's, Main at Brightleaf Square, Ninth Street
Traditions: Orange Effect, Maroon Effect, Enter Sandman, Hokie Pokie, Commonwealth Cup, Beamer Ball, Corps of Cadets Band, Fighting Gobblers
Best Plays to Go in Town: TOTS and Big Al's
Thanks to Jennifer for the insider info.
My close friend, Colleen, graduated from VT in 2005. I asked her to tell me what it means to be a Hokie and this is what she sent me.
It was January 1, 2001, my senior year of high school and I had a big decision to make. Where to attend college? Virginia Tech was playing Clemson in the Gator Bowl. At the time, Clemson University and the University of South Carolina reigned high on my list, but my brother was a sophomore at Virginia Tech and it crept in, too. After many visits to see my brother, I had grown to love "the cow school between the hills." Virginia Tech and Clemson became my top two choices. Would I be a Hokie or a Tiger? I had to make a choice, a choice that would make me the person I am today. So back to January 2001, we go...I let football determine my fate.
Virginia Tech beat Clemson 41-20 in Jacksonville, Florida and I needed to figure out what a "Hokie" was because that's what I was going to be. It didn't take long for me to learn that "Chicago Maroon" and "Burnt Orange" matched better than black and white. Virginia Tech is the coldest, hottest, and windiest place I have ever been. I believe with all my heart that God is a Hokie because I had never truly seen the beauty of fall until I watched the leaves turn maroon and orange my freshman year of college. I had become a Hokie and I lived for Saturdays at Lane Stadium.
It is difficult to describe the feeling you get when you wake up on Gameday in Blacksburg, VA, but I will do my best to give you a little piece of what I call heaven...
"We are Virginia Tech" and on Saturday at Lane Stadium it's Frank Beamer's team running out to Metallica's Enter Sandman while 66,000 fans jump up and down at the Home of the Fighting Gobblers, it's the Corps Cadets in the south stands and students in the north, it's Turkey Legs and key plays, Go Tech Go's and Stick It In's, it's blocked kicks and special teams, the "Lunch Pail" defense and the "Hammerin Hokies" offense, it's Hokie Bird and Hokie Stone, it's 4th quarter Hokie Pokies and dancing Tuba players, it's tailgates and TOTS, Hokie House and Hokie Hy's, it's where my heart is and if you don't know anything about what I just told you then pay a visit to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virgina where there's a small stadium with a loud crowd.
Traditions:The Old Well Walk – UNC Football Team/Coaches walk from our historic Old Well through campus with fans lining the walk from start to finish before pregame warm-ups, Tar Pit – Section in the endzone dedicated to the Students, Hells Bells – The song plays during games in affiliation with our historic Bell Tower located outside of the stadium, Tar Heel Town – pregame gathering for football fans in the main quad on campus with family attractions (music, food, games)
Famous Alumni: Michael Jordan, Julius Peppers, Tyler Hansbrough, Willie Parker, Mia Hamm, Sean May, Marion Jones, Lawrence Taylor, Jerry Stackhouse, Stewart Scott, John Swofford, Roy Williams, Davis Love III, Antwan Jamison, James Worthy, Phil Ford
Where to Stop for Food: The Rathskeller, TimeOut (after 2am), Crook’s Corner
Where to Watch the Game if You Don't Have a Ticket: Top of the Hill – famous bar/brewery overlooking historic Franklin St., P Bob’s – Outdoor patio seating with flat screens outside, 4 Corners – tons of tv’s and a great atmosphere
Where to Party After A Win: Franklin Street,Top of the Hill, He’s Not Here (get a ‘blue cup’), La Rez (late night spot), Spanky's, Players Dance Club (if you’re into the club scene)
Big thanks to my friend Eddie who gave me the insider information for this post. You're my favorite Tarheel!
Traditions: The Hill, Howard's Rock, Tiger Rag, First Friday Parade, Tigerama, The Esso Club, The Alma Mater Salute/Rat Caps, Banging the Drum, Two-Dollar Bills, See more traditions here.
Famous Alumni: William "Refrigerator" Perry (Former NFL defensive lineman, Superbowl XX Winner, 3-time NCAA All-American 1982-1984), Jeff Bostic (NFL Center, 3 time Superbowl Winner), Brian Dawkins (NFL defensive back, 5 time pro-bowler) Lucas Glover (2009 US Open Champion), Strom Thurmond (Former US Senator), Harvey Grant (Former Mayor of Charlotte, first African-American student at Clemson), and Robert H. Brooks (President of Hooter's)
Biggest Rival: South Carolina, Georgia
Where to Stop for Food: Calhoun Corner's ($$$), Pixie and Bill's ($$$), Blue Heron ($$), The Esso Club ($), Paw's ($), and Mac's Drive-In ($)
Where to Watch the Game if You Don't Have a Ticket: You will find the people at Clemson to be some of the most inviting in the country. You will constantly be asked to join tailgates, eat, drink, and watch the game if there is a TV. If you want to sit and be immersed in Clemson sports history head over to The Esso Club, just across from campus.
Where to Party After a Win: The Esso Club. Period.
When I was asked to do this blog post I was a little hesitant at first. How do I fit everything about Clemson, football, and tailgating into one post? I have been going to Clemson football games since I was two years old (my dad was class of '68) so it has been part of my life as long as I can remember and has given me so many memories. But I can honestly say there is no other place in the world like Clemson University, especially on game day. As many alumni say, "There's something in these hills."
The crisp smell of the cool air coming off Lake Hartwell in the morning is the perfect start to a Saturday in the upstate. Dawning your tailgating gear the day starts early in Clemson (tailgating begins at 6:00am for noon games). One thing that many Clemson alumni talk about is "The Clemson Family." This sense of family is real and palpable, especially on game day. Moving from tailgate to tailgate you will see family, old friends, and make some new friends along the way, all the while enjoying good food and cold drinks.
Clemson fans and visitors are all welcomed to tailgates on game day. Many a day my family and I have fed opposing fans while engaging in a little friendly smack talk. The game itself is an experience in of itself. Running down "The Hill" has been described as the "Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football." Rather than write an essay describing this experience, I'll let the video speak for itself:
Game day ends with the sun setting that gorgeous Clemson Orange over Lake Hartwell while the lights of downtown turn on. Many famous Clemson spots such as The Esso Club, Tiger Town Tavern, and Sloan Street Tap Room are gathering places for Clemson fans to reflect on the day and those Tigers they love so much.
My close friend, Richard, was kind enough to help me with this post this week. Despite our rivalry, we have remained friends. In all good fun, we give each other a hard time with friendly jabs here and there. We just put our friendship on a temporary hold around Thanksgiving each year.
