Photo Courtesy of AP

I never thought I could have as much fun at a Northwestern football game as I did Saturday at Wrigley. The ‘Cats lost, yes, but it was an experience unlike any other.

Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, my childhood was surrounded by Ohio State football. Every Saturday in the fall, the games ran my day. Get up, watch GameDay, tailgate, attend the game or attend a party to watch the game. And no matter where I watched, whether it was at the stadium or at a friends house, I was always surrounded by people who were as passionate about the team as I was. My mood every Saturday and every fall was determined by the Buckeyes success.

At Northwestern, the culture is obviously different. Students are apathetic, showing up after the first quarter for many games, not watching away games, and being generally disinterested in the team. This weekend at Wrigley, that environment made a drastic shift – if only for a weekend.

There was a general air of excitement around campus in the days leading up to the game. People were talking about it, making plans to go to GameDay or to a bar before the game. Students were generally excited not just to watch an NU football game, but to enjoy the atmosphere around it.

Attending College GameDay is always an experience, but this time it was more special. The Wrigley Marquee background looked incredible, Ernie Banks was in attendance, and Chris Fowler donned a Cubs hat – the GameDay crew was almost as excited to be at Wrigley Field for such an historic game as the students were. Not sleeping and getting to Wrigley at 3:30 in the morning was beyond worth it.

Despite the gap between GameDay and kickoff, there was a buzz around the game. Walking back from the set, there were large groups of people making their way to the field or to bars in the surrounding area to tailgate. It was 2 and a half hours before kickoff, and the atmosphere was alive. Go to Ryan Field 2 and a half hours before kickoff and you might be confused as to whether the ‘Cats game is home or away.

Walking back to the field an hour and a half before kickoff, there were as many people walking away from it as walking towards it. That means that large groups of people without tickets to the game showed up anyway, just to enjoy the atmosphere. This, I can guarantee, almost never happens at Ryan Field.

The game itself was disappointing, but not much more could be expected with 75 percent of the ‘Cats offense and the team’s unquestioned leader absent. For the first time, however, I wasn’t overly disappointed in a ‘Cats loss. There was something different about this game, obviously, but something less tangible than the different location and the addition of College GameDay. There was interest in the game, there was a buzz around the game, and the atmosphere in and out of Wrigley was downright exciting. Walking to the stadium, the only thing that reminded me that it wasn’t another Ohio State game was the massive amount of purple (and yes, blue and orange) in the streets. Other than that, the atmosphere was comparable to a Saturday in Columbus for probably the first and last time while I’m a student.

Next year, the home games at Ryan Field will probably go back to the way they always are – a less than full stadium, apathetic students, and far less excitement than there could be. But when my disappointment at these games starts to annoy me, I will think back to Wrigley, back to the game when, for just one Saturday, the NU game was the most exciting place to be in all of college football.

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