As the leaves change and the geese migrate, college football becomes integral to the culture and personality of many Southerners in the fall. However, not every school in this region can experience stadiums that can seat 90,000 people every weekend. When summer makes way to fall, students at schools like Samford always seem to make an annual pilgrimage to a powerhouse program
Aside from the strange COVID season in 2021, Samford football has played a Power 5 football program every year since 2015. However, Samford’s students are arguably more invested in the game than the football players.
“It was funny; it felt like it was an event like bid-day or something like that where my whole (Instagram) feed was only that for a couple of days,” said Sophomore Sara Noe, who didn’t attend the game.
Just as StepSing or Zeta Tau Alpha’s Mr. Samford competition have become integral pillars of Samford culture, so too has escaping the Samford bubble to get a taste of what it’s like to be a student at a football school.
“A few of my law school buddies went to the game, a lot of them Auburn Alum; they all enjoyed that kind of first homecoming,” said James Pecoraro, a first-year law student at Cumberland.
The Power 5 games, especially ones in-state, have allowed students and players to connect with friends and family. Many students at Samford claim fandom to Auburn or Alabama, so when Samford made the trip to Jordan-Hare this year to face the Tigers, it felt unique to fans and players alike.
“Man, it was fun, 90,000 people there, a lot of my friends went there, and my fiancé went there. It was a fun time and a great experience,” said starting quarterback Michael Hiers.
Samford playing against SEC schools isn’t just a good time for the students and players; it is also a paycheck for the program and a way for players to display their talents at the highest level. Auburn paid Samford roughly 425,000 dollars to play under the lights.
“My family was there, my girlfriend and her family were there, so it was nice to showcase my talent against a big school like Auburn,” said defensive SoCon player of the week Kourtlan Marsh.
Despite not having the pedigree of an SEC school, Samford football players and fans use Power 5 matchups to celebrate tradition and showcase their talents.
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