As I was driving the uber-historical ‘Old Pike’ south down Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley earlier this week, I couldn’t help but think – this is where ESPN College GameDay is coming? This is what James Madison University is nestled up within?
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Was it gorgeous, serene? You better believe it. Did it look like the epicenter of the biggest show in college football? No, not exactly. I didn’t see any Rose Bowls or ‘Horseshoes’ or Swamps or Red Rivers anywhere. I did see some red leaves, as the leaves on the mountain canopy were changing … but that was about it.
Honestly, it was nice.
Then I got into Harrisonburg, Va. for the first time (as an adult) – looked around and thought? What a perfect marriage of two really cool things. A picture-perfect mountain backdrop with the rabid passion of an SEC school. So maybe only 30,000 or so were tailgating all around these hills on a Saturday, instead of 90,000. Quality, not quantity.
That’s kind of like how FCS football is in general. The quality is unquestioned. The top FCS teams are good enough to compete against most Power Five teams. That’s been proven several times. Do I expect a James Madison or North Dakota State to go topple Ohio State or Alabama on any given day? Of course not. But I could give you some other P5 teams they’d topple.
On Saturday, we kicked off with one of the craziest fan showings in the 20-plus years of ESPN College Gameday on campus. Don’t ask me, ask the talent from the show. They’re the ones who said it, several times. Young JMU fans spent the night literally on the ground of the epicenter of JMU – The Quad. They did it to get a front-row seat, to prove they belong … not individually but collectively.
On a stroll around the tailgating area, it reminded me of being a college kid around SEC atmospheres at places like my alma mater, Florida, along with Tennessee, and Auburn, and South Carolina. I remember visiting these places, and even though they were opponents of my alma mater, I admired them.
They were different, but the passion was the same.
In these kinds of locations, it’s not just a damned game, it’s an experience. Some people don’t get that. In other parts of the country, you walk up 15 minutes prior to the game, purchase a ticket for a few dollars, go and sit down in your seat, say ‘rah rah’ a few times, and then exit four hours later and you’re home in time for dinner.
That’s not how it works in big-time college atmospheres. And that certainly isn’t what I witnessed at Harrisonburg. On site, people were smoking a variety of high-end protein, slow and low – the way God intended it. They had desserts, they had some of the best tailgating music I’ve heard in years, it was an impressive scene – all up and down hills that on Friday were covered with students switching buildings.
It was just an all-around killer environment. The experience is centered around the game, but it’s not all about the game. These tailgaters understand that.
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Later on Saturday, after the festivities, the JMU football team went toe-to-toe with a wounded but talented Villanova program that still packs a wallop, especially on defense. It looked like it’d be a slobber-knocker all week, even with Villanova’s injuries. And it was a battle for three and a half quarters. ‘Nova couldn’t move the ball much, but they weren’t conceding much either – only 45 yards rushing total.
The defending FCS champions finally broke away late and secured their 18th straight victory. Like their fans, JMU’s team did it to prove they belong in the discussion of who is one of the best teams in Division I college football … not for individual motives but collective.
After the game, JMU coach Mike Houston said being on stage for his first-hour live interview during ESPN Gameday was “pretty intimidating”. But then he added that it may have been because he was two inches shorter than the woman interviewing him, ESPN’s Maria Taylor. That drew a chorus of laughter. I have to add …
I watched Houston in the background grin widely while four of his players were interviewed postgame. It was like watching a dad sit in the ‘way back’ and smiling, not knowing anybody else is paying attention. That’s the vibe I’ve gotten around this guy for more than a year now. Again … not for individual motive, but collective.
It was an impressive showing, all the way around. There are several other FCS atmospheres like this, and HERO Sports looks forward to documenting them and comparing notes. Good show, JMU.
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