Day 1 - Camping for Alabama

     I know it wasn’t quite how I envisioned it a week ago, but camping out for the Arkansas-Alabama has been an adventure.

     Before the season and up until the Louisiana-Monroe game, tomorrow’s game was looking like a top ten matchup and ESPN’s College Gameday was coming to town.

     Unfortunately, everyone knows how that turned out and the game isn’t nearly as hyped. However, it’s still a huge game. The University let students set up tents and camp out for the game last night at 6:00.

     As a freshman, this was my first experience of camping out for a Razorback game, and I had been looking forward to it for several years.

     Setting up the tent may have been the most complicated thing over the past 24 hours. Cody Nelson, my roommate, and his girlfriend, Katelyn Buffington, brought a tent to set up, but didn’t have the instructions. Making matters worse, they left to go see Cody’s aunt that doesn’t visit often, leaving my friend, Wyatt Espe, and I to figure out the tent on our own.

     While trying to figure out what the heck we were doing, we realized the tent was the biggest one around and it was super complicated to put together with the wind and only two people.

     Luckily, the people in the tent next to us saw us struggling and started helping. One girl asked, “Are you guys by any chance freshmen?” I smiled back and said, “What gave you that idea?”

     Later that night, the football team came by and gave us free pizza. So not only did we get free food, but it was given to us by the Razorback football team…so cool!

     Around 2 in the morning, Wyatt, Chaney Westphal, and I finally went to bed because I had an 8:30 class this morning. I made it through my 8:30 Honors Calculus III class, only falling asleep a few times. My 9:30 Honors Geology class was a little easier to stay awake in because we talked about volcanoes, which are always interesting.

     For a couple hours after that, I had the exciting job of watching the tent. I drifted in and out of sleep until I saw a small puddle of water collecting in the tent. I bolted awake and looked for the problem.

     Rain has been falling for most of today and this was the first leak we had, so I wasn’t going to complain. I’m not sure I fixed the leak, but I know I at least contained it.

     Probably the coolest part of today was getting to go to a presentation by Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples, where he talked about college football and the business side of it. It was a really interesting presentation and afterward, I introduced myself to him.

     Hopefully, he’ll check out my blog and email or text me some feedback. I am pumped to get a Sports Illustrated journalist’s opinion on my writing!

     Now I’m just chilling, listening to people comment on our tent as they walk by. Everyone seems to be amazed at how big it is, saying it’s a “party tent” and it’s “bigger than my apartment.”

     I’d also like to give a huge shout out to “LXAdownstairs” (whatever that is) for the free WiFi here. I appreciate it!

     I can’t wait for tomorrow’s game! Even though Arkansas looks like they will get killed, I still believe they can shock the world.

     Woo Pig Sooie!