College Football Traditions

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[SWTXBelle]

I'm not going to steal their thunder, so I'll let an Aggie expound on them -but it is hard to beat Texas A & M in terms of tradition! It's the only college football game I've attended that I really, really enjoyed.

eta - okay, the Aggies are taking too long - here you go -

12TH MAN

In Dallas on January 2, 1922, at the Dixie Classic (the forerunner of the Cotton Bowl) A&M played defending national champion Centre College in the first post-season game in the southwest. A&M had so many injuries in the first half of the game that Coach D. X. Bible feared he wouldn’t have enough men to finish the game. He called into the Aggie section of the stands for E. King Gill, a reserve who had left football after the regular season to play basketball. Gill volunteered and donned the uniform of injured player Heine Weir. Although he did not actually play, his readiness symbolized the willingness of all Aggies to support their team to the point of actually entering the game. A&M won 22-14, but E. King Gill was the only man left standing on the sidelines for the Aggies. The 12th Man has evolved into an Aggie tradition. The student body, known as the "12th Man", stands throughout the entire game, "ready to help the team".
Another part of the 12th man tradition is when the head coach before each game chooses a walk-on player to represent the student body. This player wears the No. 12 jersey, participates in kick-off returns, and is called "The 12th Man".

Yells

See also: Yell Leaders and Midnight Yell Practice The 12th Man uses a variety of school yells, rather than cheers, to support Aggie teams. Each year the student body elects five students to serve as the Yell Leaders. At midnight before each home football game at Kyle Field or at a predesignated location at away games, the fans gather together to practice the yells for the next day's game. Led by the Yell Leaders, and the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, the Twelfth Man files into the stadium to practice yells, sing the War Hymn, and joke about their opponents. One tradition at the games is when the Aggies score, Aggies kiss their dates. Close to the end of midnight yell, the lights turn off and Aggies practice this tradition.

[jon1856]

Whenever the service academies play each other, they seem to bring along their Special Operations teams.
Lots of stuff goes on way off the field.

[catiebug]

I've always found the Harvard-Yale games to be a blast.

Especially when MIT comes and does a hack.

[NutBrnHair]

Script OhioThe signature formation of the Ohio State Marching Band performed before, during halftime or after home games is Script Ohio.

Each time the formation drill is performed, a different fourth- or fifth-year sousaphone player has the privilege of standing as the dot in the “i” of “Ohio.”

History of the “i”-dot
At its first performance, the Script Ohio’s “i” was dotted by a trumpet player, John Brungart (1933-36). The march from the top of the “o” to the top of the “i” was just another movement to complete a formation but over 60 years later, the honor of dotting the “i” is known throughout the world.

In the fall of 1937, Glen R. Johnson, a sousaphone player, was ordered to switch places with the trumpet player in the formation.

The familiar kick, turn and bow by the sousaphone player at the top of the “i” was an innovation introduced by Johnson at a game in 1938. “(The turn) was an impulse reaction when drum major Myron McKelvey arrived three or four measures too soon at the top of the “i”,” Johnson explained, “so I did a big kick, a turn and a deep bow to use up the music.” The crowd roared when this happened, and it became part of the show thereafter.

Who dots the “i”
To be eligible to dot the “i”, a sousaphone player must at least be a fourth-year member. Fifth-year members also are eligible to dot the “i”, but only after all fourth-year members have been chosen. At postseason performances (usually double scripts), fourth and fifth-year members compete for the open dots in what is called a “dot-off”, in which eligible members perform their routine for the entire sousaphone section. Members watch two rounds of competition and vote for the best two candidates.

Honorary “i”-dotters
Woody Hayes and Bob Hope are among the select few non-band members who have had the honor of dotting the “i.” This is considered the greatest honor the band can bestow to any non-band person and is an extremely special (and rare) event.

How to dot the “i”
At exactly 16 measures from the end of “Le Regiment,” the drum major struts out toward the top of the “i,” with the sousaphone player high-stepping a couple of paces behind. As the crowd’s cheering crescendos, the drum major stops and dramatically points to the spot, and the sousaphone player assumes the post of honor, doffs his hat and bows deeply to both sides of the stadium.

[BuckeyeTriDelta]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Script OhioThe signature formation of the Ohio State Marching Band performed before, during halftime or after home games is Script Ohio.

Each time the formation drill is performed, a different fourth- or fifth-year sousaphone player has the privilege of standing as the dot in the “i” of “Ohio.”

History of the “i”-dot
At its first performance, the Script Ohio’s “i” was dotted by a trumpet player, John Brungart (1933-36). The march from the top of the “o” to the top of the “i” was just another movement to complete a formation but over 60 years later, the honor of dotting the “i” is known throughout the world.

In the fall of 1937, Glen R. Johnson, a sousaphone player, was ordered to switch places with the trumpet player in the formation.

The familiar kick, turn and bow by the sousaphone player at the top of the “i” was an innovation introduced by Johnson at a game in 1938. “(The turn) was an impulse reaction when drum major Myron McKelvey arrived three or four measures too soon at the top of the “i”,” Johnson explained, “so I did a big kick, a turn and a deep bow to use up the music.” The crowd roared when this happened, and it became part of the show thereafter.

Who dots the “i”
To be eligible to dot the “i”, a sousaphone player must at least be a fourth-year member. Fifth-year members also are eligible to dot the “i”, but only after all fourth-year members have been chosen. At postseason performances (usually double scripts), fourth and fifth-year members compete for the open dots in what is called a “dot-off”, in which eligible members perform their routine for the entire sousaphone section. Members watch two rounds of competition and vote for the best two candidates.

Honorary “i”-dotters
Woody Hayes and Bob Hope are among the select few non-band members who have had the honor of dotting the “i.” This is considered the greatest honor the band can bestow to any non-band person and is an extremely special (and rare) event.

How to dot the “i”
At exactly 16 measures from the end of “Le Regiment,” the drum major struts out toward the top of the “i,” with the sousaphone player high-stepping a couple of paces behind. As the crowd’s cheering crescendos, the drum major stops and dramatically points to the spot, and the sousaphone player assumes the post of honor, doffs his hat and bows deeply to both sides of the stadium.

AMEN.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeTriDelta

AMEN.

Please give me extra credit since I'm from SEC country!!

[BuckeyeTriDelta]

Extra credit given! Esp. coming from someone down in SEC country.