Chills. That is what college football fans get when they watch their team enter the stadium; whether it is on their couch watching it on tv or live inside the venue. And let us be honest here that chills even happen when it is not your team often times.
While the NFL offers a passion of its own kind, I can confidently say that there is nothing like the passion of college football. From the fans decked out in team colors, to the pageantry, fight songs, tailgating and beyond, it is paralleled by absolutely no other sport in America.
If you are not familiar, or just wanting to get an off season fix to tie you over, I have put together a list of fantastic college football entrances that you can watch time and time again to get your chills.
Here are the Top Five Entrances in College Football
“Under a Carolina Sky” (South Carolina)
This classic tune plays and the South Carolina Gamecock mascot, “Sir big Spur” is unveiled in a cage as the curtain is pulled which exhilarates the crowd before the Gamecocks make their way onto the field at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.
Although it is not part of the actual entrance, the song “Sandstorm” by DaRude is also played to pump up the crowd with white towels waving across the stadium before the Gamecocks take the field.
Between these two songs, noise is at an all-time high whenever the Gamecocks take the field Saturday’s in the fall.
Running through the “T” (Tennessee)
The Pride of the Southland band as the Tennessee University marching band is known processes onto the field in the shape of a “T” as they get ready for the Vols to march through it.
Right before the Vols storm on the band parts three ways, extending their “T” as Volunteers mascot, Smokey and the cheerleaders sprint with orange flags in hands leading the Vols onto the field at every home game.
Same Tunnel Entrance (Michigan)
The Michigan Wolverines enter through the same tunnel as the opposing team when they are at home inside “The Big House,” Michigan stadium is nicknamed.
This brings tension almost every time. And one can only imagine how intense it gets against rivals like Michigan State and Ohio State.
The Wolverines then enter the stadium to the roar of over 107,000 wearing maze and blue when at capacity.
Howards Rock (Clemson)
The Clemson Tigers actually do not have their pregame locker room at Memorial Stadium, but process to it by bus as the street is lined with Tigers fans right outside. As the buses park loaded with players and staff, they players start rocking the buses ready to get to it.
From the bus, the players process into the stadium and onto what is known as “The Hill” with students lined on each side. This has been the tradition in the stadium nicknamed “Death Valley” since 1942.
Each player touches a rock on the hill as they spring onto the field. The rock itself has a story and is part of Clemson history and is named “Howards Rock” which was a gift given to former Clemson coach, Frank Howard in the early 1960’s as a gift and went from a doorstop to a mainstay in Death Valley.
Enter Sandman (Virginia Tech)
Hands down, this is the best entrance in college football. “Enter Sandman” by the heavy metal band Metallica fills Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia since the school first started playing it in 2000.
To kick is off, the public address announcer plays on the lyrics , “exit light, enter night” by re-working it and saying, “exit light, enter the Hokies!”
The rest is absolutely exhilarating. The crowd gets more and more hyped as the song goes on. It is even the experience of a lifetime for opposing teams. They sure know how to put on a show in Blacksburg.