Football Gameday Attire
 

With the rapid approach of college football season (!!!), I was wondering, what do Greeks typically wear to football games at your school? This question came up during a lunchtime discussion when several (non-Greek) co-workers mentioned that dressing up for a game was unheard of at their university. At Auburn University, at least in the mid-1990s, as a general rule we Greek men wore khaki slacks, a white dress shirt, tie and a blazer while our dates (overwhelmingly Greek women) wore nice dresses or similar pantsuits/blouses. Although it was absolutely miserable early in the season when gametime temperatures inside the stadium were 100 degrees with matching humidity (for those not familiar, Auburn is a SEC school in eastern Alabama), I thought it was great. Admittedly, my senior year my chapter finally broke down and allowed collared golf shirts for early season games because of the heat and humidity. I loved the tradition because 1) it was a tradition and at Auburn, almost EVERYTHING is a tradition and 2) it really set the Greek students apart from the general student population. I thought it projected a unique and classy image (although I’m under no illusion that all of us behaved in a classy manner regrettably) that was noticeable among the 85,000+ spectators. I’d love to hear what is normal at other SEC schools and though-out the country. Let’s hear it UGA, UF, Ole Miss and the East, Midwest and West, what is your gameday outfit?

Wow, that is a different world entirely from where I went to school! (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater)

Nobody ever dressed up for games...you might see folks in their letters, but even that was pretty rare. Of course, by October, you're in full winter jacket season here!

I've also never heard of having a "date" at a football game!

auakl--

Same thing goes at LSU. You'll see most Greek guys (especially pledges) in blazer, khakis, white button down and a tie for games. Most actives will wear khakis or dress pants of some sort and a nice button down. Girls will be in cute dresses or nice pants and a cute top. I'm like you...I think it looks really nice and it's part of the fun of being at an SEC school!!!

GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!

Allison

Football Attire
 

I went to the University of Alabama in the mid to late 90s and we ALWAYS dressed up for games. Men (pledges) wore khaki pants, white dress shirt, navy blazer and a tie....women usually wore sundresses and their pins. I loved that we dressed that way (except for those first couple games where it's 100 degrees)....it always set us apart from the other students in the student section. You could always tell who was Greek because of the block seating at games and the attire.

edited to add: for anyone who is not familiar with block seating - all of the fraternities (all social and a couple academic) reserve about nine or ten rows in the student section for their members and their dates.

Yep, same thing for University of Texas. Although in the last few years, it seems as if less people are dressing up than when I was in college. More and more, the norm is wearing burnt orange tank tops or etc. with a longhorn on it, or some sort of Texas-themed article of clothing.

There were football games in college? ;)

i know at the homecoming game at UNA us and the fraternity guys wore pin attire. i'm not real sure for the rest of the games though.

ADP

Oh, auakl, have you ever brought back the memories! And at Arkansas and Mississippi State, the same attire is worn...doesn't it make a game day special?

At FSU it's very casual for both Greeks and non-Greeks. You definitely wouldn't be able to tell whether or not someone was affiliated with a GLO just by what they were wearing. Granted, there's block seating for fraternities and sororities at the games, but you would look strange if you showed up to an FSU game all dressed up. "Cute" attire for girls is shorts or jeans and a cute top.

I grew up in Auburn and going to many Auburn football games, so I am familiar with the usual Greek dress there. And yes, even as a spectator outside of that particular Greek system, it DOES stand out and does look classy. Sometimes it seems a bit ridiculous to go to a football game all dressed up...but it IS the south and we tend to "over do" everything here :)

WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, which was older than dirt, we always dressed in coats and Ties! Something you could wear your Badges to>

What is wrong with wearing your Colosr to show who YOU ARE!
Are you not Proud to be a member of your Greek Organization?

I am working on a deal with a local Guy about Polo Shirts that dont cost an arm and a leg so My Brothers can wear them on Campus instead of Beer Shirts!

Promote your Org. and Look nice doing it!

If I can work this out, I will try to let you know so you too can get in to it!

If it aint right for my Brothers, it anint right for the rest!:) :cool:

There are so many who try to rip us off it is sad!

We are usually VERY casual.

http://www.alphathetachi.net/photo_p...00/Default.htm

Later that day we put on our "Michigan drinking" shirts :D

Dress code for Texas Aggie Football games??

Maroon, as much as you can wear. Most Greeks have maroon t-shirts specifically made to wear to games.

Other than the Corps of Cadets, attire at games is whatever you have that will keep ya cool from the sun and fit in with the rest of the 12th Man.

I go to a school school that is part of the Lonestar Conference. The sororities were letters and the fraterities ususally were some type of letters. The Pikes however paint themselve because there is always a spirit contest to see which group is the loudest and they win money. So by wearing letters of some sort then that is how the GLOs are told apart. Its just to hot in Texas to wear pin attire to football games.

33girl--I was thinking the same thing :) At my school, I saw 4 football games the entire time I was in collge, homecoming games. As for attire, jeans and your letters.

I have a friend who went to UTEP and is a XO, and she said they got all dolled up for the football games. I can't imagine going to a football game in a flowery dress! What happens if you spill your beer on it? :D

Hey! While I'm very much NOT an Aggie fan-HOOK 'EM HORNS!! :D -I must say that ya'll have a very sweet/cool tradition of the guys kissing their dates every time A&M scores. I love that!!

And by the way-whats up with all the swaying side to side-I got dragged to a game a couple of years ago, and we were sitting high up in the stadium, and all the Aggies started doing that-I thought I was going to fall out of my chair!! It really made me dizzy. :D

Ha, at Case, no one went to football games. I'm not kidding - between the band, team and cheerleaders, there were more folks on the field than just plain spectating! Home games usually had more rooters from the away team than we did.

But ya know, that could be because they didn't serve beer.

Every year quite a few freshmen would show up for the first home game, because they hadn't figured out no one went yet.

We don't have a football team. But for the basketball games everyone dresses up. Girls in nice sun dresses and guys in coats and ties. Its fun, b/c everyone is shocked how we all go all out for basketball.

My school, which is part of the big sky conference, the greek community generally tries to show up in leters and have blocked off seating. It isnt normal to see people dressed up for games. The big thing you find though is a lot of different groups on campus have block seating.

Huh. I've never been to a football game for more than 15 minutes, I just go to see the halftime show- we have a lot of brothers in the band. Almost no students go to UMass football games- the team sucks, and the stadium is way off campus. Even when we won the I-AA championship, the stadium wasn't more than half full.

Wow-

I really can't fathom going to college and not going to football games. Football games are a huge part of the Aggie college experience as most of our traditions have something or other to do with football.

ChiOJenn-

Aw, you're a 'horn? I'm sorry :p

Just kidding, nothing wrong with a friendly rivalry. The main reason i'm a Sigma Nu is because one of my best friends in HS was Commander of the UT chapter when i went through rush.

As for the swaying, that's part of when we sing the 'Aggie War Hymn'. When we get to the part about "Sawing Varsity's Horn's off...." we all lock arms around the shoulders of the people next to us and sway, creating a "sawing" image. I think it's one of the coolest things ever at a college football game. Rumor has it that sportswriters in the press box on the Alumni side have been able to feel the press box moving in unison. For those out there that have never been to Kyle Field, picture 85,000+ people decked out in maroon swaying back and forth....

That all being said,

Gig 'em

Kitso

Well at UF we don't wear Pin Attire. The Student side of the stadium faces the sun. It is something akin to God holding a magnifying glass over the stands. Some chapters have their pledges wear full pin attire but we usually wear a UF orange or blue polo and kakhis. Speaking of football I can't wait to sit in the block and watch the Gators.

GO GATORS

At Georgia Southern we wore full pin attire (without the pin, as we were drinking ;) )and had block seating, but we rarely went into the stadium as we spent most of the time "tailgating". This was right before we got good again (late 90's) so things may have changed a little as far as actually going into the stadium, I don' think the attire has though.

penn state football
 

our only dress code at football games is to BLEED blue and white!!!! the football tradition at penn state is amazing. . .we have the winningest coach in division I-A football. . .YEA JOE-PA!!!! bobby bowden will not catch ya!! our football stadium is one of the largest in the country. . .seats 109,000 people. . .if you don't like football don't come to penn state ;)

coming down from my psu pride high: we do wear our letters to the homecoming games and we block seats with whatever fraternity we're with that saturday nite. we usually have a tailgate before hand. . .always an interesting experiance. . .

Wow, it's amazing to hear about the traditions at other schools. Sounds like you have a fantastic time!

In the Ivy League people mainly go to homecoming games or the game against the school's rival (Harvard/Yale, Penn/Princeton, etc.), although those are a good time. Half the time people spend the whole game in the parking lot tailgating. Some of the alumni tailgates are pretty impressive, with champagne, crystal, etc., but it would be really surprising to see any students wearing anything fancier than jeans and a college sweatshirt and hat.

On the West Coast (Pac-10 land), I don't know of many greek memebers that dress up for games...maybe USC greeks do, but I never see Stanford or Cal greeks dressing up...always t-shirts and shorts (or in the fall, rain gear!). I guess the tradition for greeks dressing up is not as strong here...That's not to say, however, that we don't like our games just as much as you do in the South and Southwest and Midwest!:)

OMG! Most of you can't possibly be talking about the same kind of football I think of!! Seriously, after reading a few posts I thought it was something different. Our schools are SOOO different!

I go to Penn State w/ PSUSigKap and anything goes! It's all Penn State attire generally-at least anything blue and white. We're talking sweats, jeans, cotton, cotton, cotton, comfortable!! People paint their face and bodies blue and white and wear other blue and white thing you didn't even know existed.

I once was outside a football game at Muhlenberg College and saw people dressed in khakis and slacks and it just about blew my mind. Just goes to show how different things can be!

At USC, we wear sundresses and the guys wear shirts and ties, and like khakis or something. Most of the time, it's really hot, and they don't wear jackets, but a couple of the guys have gamecock jackets that they'll wear. But, most greeks only dress up if they're going to the tents (well, that's most greeks, anyway). Otherwise, it's casual. Oh, and you wear a red or black sundress. Or at least, try to. Poor Limited is always crammed with girls on gameday trying to find something!

Oh, and at Wofford College, ALL people dress up, even visitors. I know I always did when I went to see my brother-in-law play. Though, the SAE's always wear the same exact thing and stand together.

OK, another "old guy" story.

I was a Radio-TV major and was the announcer for our marching band which was/is a really big deal -- the band, I mean. We were on the quarter system, which meant that often the first game of the season was the weekend before classes started, on the day the students were moving in.

My wife used to tell the story of looking out her dorm window at the bridge which leads from the "uptown"/main college green area down to her residence green and the stadium and basketball arena. There I was, walking down the bridge in gray slacks, blue blazer, blue button down shirt and regimental tie (standard Greek dress -- especially for Delts -- in those days for games), mum in hand, on a spectacular, crisp Fall afternoon coming to take her to the game. She had just moved in, and we hadn't seen each other for several weeks. She met me at the bottom of the bridge in a short plaid wool skirt a nice top and wool vest. She was as spectacular as the day with long straight dark brown hair and flashing blue eyes.

What a memory.

Sounds like some of those traditions are still alive in the South. Damn, were they great! The Greeks really looked like something special, sitting in blocks with our letters on banners on the stadium fence in front or behind us!

The Tekes had their victory bell, the Pikes had an old fire truck and the Pershing Rifles (Army honorary) had their cannon. Those things were heavy -- we were content with flasks and beautiful dates.

After the game, we all followed the band as they marched up the bridge to the College Green and then we scattered to the bars or to parties.

What wonderful memories of fantastic times! The band is still outstanding and this year I plan to go back for Homecoming along with my daughter (her first trip back to our Alma Mater) and her husband who has never been there.

(personal note -- over the years I've directed live telecasts of all kinds of sports events -- but my very favorite still remains college football. It's magic.)

yah same here
 

I think the dressing up thing is mainly a SEC thing, my little bro goes to LSU and they get dressed up, I dont know why because whenever LSU scores, and they did a lot last year, everyone throws their drinks forward creating a large wave of cups, coke, ice, and bourbon......Its pretty cool........
But at my crappy school, our football team is horrible, but all of us TKEs go to the game, no other greeks go, not even for homecoming, except for our girlfriends.....that are greek....and we dont dress up, we have different tailgating themes, and we dress for our themes we make up.....Homecoming we wear our Red and Black TKE letter Jerseys, and for other events we have themes like mullet mainia...where we dress up as inbred rednecks, and spend half the game yelling lines from deliverence at the opposing team(I made that up)....toga(where we down Irish car bombs in the tailgaitng area).....Hawaiin(we fill up the back of our pick ups with water and play in the water and grass skirts)....

wow, thats crazy...but really cool.
i'm a sucker for tradition.
anyway, at sdsu no one really cares about football. i dont know if its because our team always sucks, or what. but if you go to san diego state, then you're not there for the football games...lol. we have a lot more fun.
also, every day in sd is a fashion show...

Thanks for sharing, DA - that was a really nice story! :)

Re: yah same here
 

Maybe a Southern thing -- I've seen it (and done it) at plenty of ACC games and games in other Southern schools.

Aw, now I wish this were the thing to do at my alma mater. I love the idea of all the greeks being (well, A- at the game) dressed up, with their dates, etc.

What do you all mean about block seating? Do you have to buy tickets to the game that have specific seats? At Whitewater the games were free, and you just went and sat down wherever.

Re: yah same here
 

Don't you love that???? That's probably one of the best parts of the game...well up until you get smacked on the head with a big piece of ice like one of my sisters did last year. Almost knocked the poor girl out. The funniest thing about that tradition is that everybody spends countless hours perfecting how they are going to get their alcohol into the stadium to put in their cups then they throw it all away with the first touchdown. I've gone home countless times smelling like I took a bath in Jack Daniels or Jim Beam. LOL. Did you hear that they are putting security cameras in our stadium to watch "problem areas" (aka the student section). I think that's the biggest bunch of BS I've ever heard. But then again this is the athletic administration that just created the ugliest logo I've ever seen. I guess the point of my post is that Tiger Stadium is one helluva place to be in the fall. The atmosphere is like no other. :)

I have friends that went to school all over the southeastern United States. It was always interesting to me to go to one of their football games and see what everyone considers appropriate dress. It truly runs the whole gamut.

Jacksonville hosts "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" (aka the UGA/UF game) every year. You get to see two completely different types of game day attire in the same place. One half of the stadium is dressed pretty nicely and the other half is wearing tank tops and jeans shorts. It's always a good party, though, and that is the important thing, I guess. :)

Being so close to Penn State, we always went up to their games :) Harmony and PSUSigKap are right...there is no better place to go to a college football game than Happy Valley! The student section is AWESOME, and there's all sorts of fun things...marshmallows being my fav :)

At Auburn block seating worked in the late 1990s as follows: The Student Government Association assigns “spirit points” to various campus activities, from recycling shakers to participating in blood drives to hanging spirit banners (“XYZ says Roast the Razorbacks!”) on campus, etc. The groups that have the most spirit points at the end of the school year receive “block seating” in the student section for the following football season. The seats are not really numbered but are in Sections and rows (bench seating, there were seat numbers but they didn’t matter), i.e. Section 25, Row R. Based on the number of members in an organization, a certain number of rows would be assigned. Then in the Spring, a “draft” is held for which rows you get in the Student section. The block seats are in several sections below the walkway that roughly divides the lower level of Jordan-Hare Stadium into a upper and lower half. In 1998 you had to have a paper ticket in order to get into the block seating area and it was STRICTLY enforced by campus security. We actually had police officers stationed at the entrances to the sections to make sure nobody got in that didn’t belong to an organization with seats or a guest of such a member. This worked very well in keeping GDIs and randoms out. Later the guards were dropped and the individual organizations were responsible for keeping their rows secured. A LOT of ugly conversations resulted from that decision as GDIs and random fans tried to get in and argue that they could sit there. Grrrrrr.... Any recognized campus student group, from the American Society of Civil Engineers to Air Force ROTC to Habitat for Humanity can participate in spirit points, however, with the exception of Navy(?) ROTC starting in the very late 90s, the only groups organized and dedicated enough were the IFC fraternities. The sororities participated in the sprit point competition, but for some reason I cannot remember a sorority having block seating??? Maybe I’m just forgetting; Blueyes or any other Auburn folks please correct me if I’m wrong. It is great b/c block seating generally isn’t as crowded as the general student section, you get guaranteed seats w/ your brothers and friends in other houses that sit adjacent to your rows and again, the Greeks dressed up and sitting together really makes an impression. And before anyone argues that this isn’t fair (though I would be glad to hear your opinion/arguement as well!), let me say that the advantage to the University community was MUCH greater participation in events for the good of the school or community such as those mentioned at the beginning of my post (blood drives, food drives, recycling, raising money for cancer research, etc...). Again, any student group could participate, some even made half-hearted attempts but they almost always fell flat due to lack of organization and participation. Many of the folks in those organizations who would have participated were already members of socials, and you can probably guess where their loyalty really lies when it comes to getting Spirit Points! BTW, we pay for our student tickets ($5/game?), not all freshmen even get season tickets because there is such demand, usually a package is offered for them that includes the less popular games where attendance will likely be lower (83,000 instead of 85,000+), but not the major SEC games (i.e. Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and LSU). Hope this helps!

Wow, this is amazing. A totally different world!

Very few people actually go to our Football games, so there has never been an issue with seating, or even crowding... you could probably sit in a section all by yourself if you really wanted to.

I'm all jealous now... it sounds like such a cool experience!

Although football is a big deal at UM we don't have anything like block seating. Greeks sit with all the other students in the student section. Its also super casual. Everone ends ups with the shorts and t-shirt tan:cool:

auakl---

Y'all only pay $5 for block seating??? I think we're not paying $10 or $11 per game. But then again...we get actual seats instead of the benches. That could be the difference.