WATCH IT OR FEEL IT?

Brothers took aim at brothers. Fathers fought against their own sons. Some families were torn apart by geographic lines, others by political ones. Either way, very little civility existed inside the Civil War — the bloodiest and worst military confrontation in which a not-so-united group of states ever engaged.

Every life lost was an American one. As a reunited country tried to heal, reconstruction became a word many people used but few understood. There were deep scars for which even time might never be a salve. A nation searched, perhaps unwittingly, for something to cinch itself up and may have found an answer in something children do — play games. It seems a game of one type or another can bring people together. Not just in terms of mass, but also in minds.

On a cool November 6, 1869, the first college football game was played. One hundred people, none of them season ticket holders, watched. The College of New Jersey (now known as Princeton) played against Rutgers. The final outcome of the game pales in comparison to the effects of a seed planted in a rich but warravaged soil.

150 years later, today's game is different. No more sandlots. No more offenses aimed at three yards and a cloud of dust. Massive, ornate cathedrals have been raised for the best programs in the country. Spread attacks produce hundreds of more yards per game than were amassed 20 years ago. Television money and a host of other revenue options have made the college game more popular now than it ever has been. ABC, CBS and FOX have put virtually every game, every week, into the living rooms and man caves of millions of fans. The behemoth ESPN has so changed the game, many fans watch uninterrupted three hours of ESPN “Gameday” programming before the sleepy-eyed east coast teams can even complete warmups.

But nothing can replace the surreal experience of attending a home game in person. It's where thousands of families have introduced their children to Cowboy football. They settle into their seats with a hotdog, Pepsi, some popcorn and an impressionable mind. All of the sounds, sights, smells and traditions are passed on to them without any specific strategy to do so. They just know they are having fun and are surrounded by passionate people who care about them.

We’re lucky. Our cathedral is as shiny as anyone’s. Our traditions are special. Grab your friends and family and join us in making some memories … SOME BRIGHT ORANGE ONES.

GO POKES!

KYLE WRAY Vice President Enrollment & Brand Management

Kyle Wray OSU @KyleWrayOSU