All of this is predicated on being able to justify the cost and time of doing these things … but if you can justify it, here are some thoughts on future bowl game attendance.
Go in a with a day to spare. We got to Dallas on Wednesday. That gave us one more day to have a nice, relaxing dinner with friends before the fun started. It also gave us a full day Thursday for lunch and dinner reservations while also attending the Battle of the Bands at AT&T Stadium. I know some folks also used the time for a tour of AT&T and other fun things. Most importantly, it allows for travel delays so they don't derail your trip. Some of our friends had a flight delay from StL on Thursday, so we couldn't meet up with them until 10 pm that night.
Attend the planned University events. As mentioned, we attended the Battle of the Bands on Thursday. Nothing earth-shattering, but it was fun to be a part of the festivities, including seeing the highly regarded Ohio State band and spirit squads. We also attended the Alumni Association tailgate at Globe Life Stadium with 10,000 of our closest friends. That allowed us to arrive at the stadium early, get a parking spot secured (before the stadium parking lots even opened), and see the band and spirit squads. Plus, we ran into old fraternity and sorority friends, university personnel, alumni friends, etc. Then, we still had time before and after to hit the Texas Live entertainment district before heading to the game.
Buy tickets from TSF. I fully understand why folks wouldn’t do this. I really do. But if you can afford to do so, buy a ticket or two in the TSF allotment, even if you buy better tickets on the secondary market. Selling out our allotment helps the Athletic Department, and perhaps our future prospects for a better game if we happen to not make the playoffs in the future.
Stay at the team hotel. This is one of my favorite parts of bowl games. Before the matcvhups were announced, we booked the two team hotels in Atlanta and Dallas, then canceled the three we didn’t need. The Hilton Anatole was filled with like-minded fans from all over the country, and it was fun to eat, drink and talk Mizzou with them. It also gave us time to interact with players (Jake Garcia was a highlight); watch kids get autographs; talk to player families (the Cooks are a great family, and there are lots of them); catch up with old coaches (HCGP’s room was next to ours); hear from current coaches (Coach Luper isn’t looking to repeat next year --- he is looking to win it all); talk to the broadcast team (after the game, Howard told us that Mike Kelly first called the Burden touchdown an interception, and told us about the angle they were watching the game from); Dr Choi talked to our group well after midnight when the bus got back from the stadium; and so much more.
Go to the bowl game. Maybe you can’t do all of the above, but do everything you can to go to the game. Our first bowl game as a family was the 2008 Cotton Bowl, when our girls were young. We had photos with Martin Rucker’s family at the Hilton, and lots of other photos and as ‘content’ for throw-back posts. Most importantly, we had memories that made this game 16 years later even more fun. Go to the game, do the things, make the memories. You’ll be glad you did.
Go in a with a day to spare. We got to Dallas on Wednesday. That gave us one more day to have a nice, relaxing dinner with friends before the fun started. It also gave us a full day Thursday for lunch and dinner reservations while also attending the Battle of the Bands at AT&T Stadium. I know some folks also used the time for a tour of AT&T and other fun things. Most importantly, it allows for travel delays so they don't derail your trip. Some of our friends had a flight delay from StL on Thursday, so we couldn't meet up with them until 10 pm that night.
Attend the planned University events. As mentioned, we attended the Battle of the Bands on Thursday. Nothing earth-shattering, but it was fun to be a part of the festivities, including seeing the highly regarded Ohio State band and spirit squads. We also attended the Alumni Association tailgate at Globe Life Stadium with 10,000 of our closest friends. That allowed us to arrive at the stadium early, get a parking spot secured (before the stadium parking lots even opened), and see the band and spirit squads. Plus, we ran into old fraternity and sorority friends, university personnel, alumni friends, etc. Then, we still had time before and after to hit the Texas Live entertainment district before heading to the game.
Buy tickets from TSF. I fully understand why folks wouldn’t do this. I really do. But if you can afford to do so, buy a ticket or two in the TSF allotment, even if you buy better tickets on the secondary market. Selling out our allotment helps the Athletic Department, and perhaps our future prospects for a better game if we happen to not make the playoffs in the future.
Stay at the team hotel. This is one of my favorite parts of bowl games. Before the matcvhups were announced, we booked the two team hotels in Atlanta and Dallas, then canceled the three we didn’t need. The Hilton Anatole was filled with like-minded fans from all over the country, and it was fun to eat, drink and talk Mizzou with them. It also gave us time to interact with players (Jake Garcia was a highlight); watch kids get autographs; talk to player families (the Cooks are a great family, and there are lots of them); catch up with old coaches (HCGP’s room was next to ours); hear from current coaches (Coach Luper isn’t looking to repeat next year --- he is looking to win it all); talk to the broadcast team (after the game, Howard told us that Mike Kelly first called the Burden touchdown an interception, and told us about the angle they were watching the game from); Dr Choi talked to our group well after midnight when the bus got back from the stadium; and so much more.
Go to the bowl game. Maybe you can’t do all of the above, but do everything you can to go to the game. Our first bowl game as a family was the 2008 Cotton Bowl, when our girls were young. We had photos with Martin Rucker’s family at the Hilton, and lots of other photos and as ‘content’ for throw-back posts. Most importantly, we had memories that made this game 16 years later even more fun. Go to the game, do the things, make the memories. You’ll be glad you did.
Last edited:
