Weinberg senior Paul Myers hasn’t regularly attended Northwestern football games in the past, but he plans to get out of bed for Saturday’s battle against Indiana.
“When I have a choice between football and rest, I usually choose rest,” Myers said. “I’m going this weekend because the team’s doing better and I have a lot of friends going. Interest is high.”
Now that the winning Northwestern football team is playing at home for the first time since classes started, not even threats of snow will keep students from showing their support.
The team leapt to a No. 22 ranking this week — their first national ranking since Sept. 1, 1997 — after consecutive wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State.
And now that the team is ranked and winning, Weinberg freshman Rhonnie Song has changed her mind about skipping this year’s home games.
“I decorated my door with purple-and-white pom-poms and bought tickets for all the remaining home games,” she said.
NU ticket office staff members said ticket sales have skyrocketed in the last two weeks.
“Phone calls have been nonstop,” said Michelle Mrkota, the assistant manager of the ticket office. “People are excited and want to sit with Northwestern fans.”
Last year Ryan Field sold out when visiting teams would bring 25,000 fans with them, but now NU fans want to see NU football, Mrkota said. Ticket sales have increased for all games.
Mrkota said she expected to sell 30,000 tickets for the game. Student tickets were still available Thursday evening.
Not all students are excited about going to the game, though.
“I think it’s fun that we’re doing well,” said Vera Lester, a Speech junior. “But I’ve never been a big sports fan. It’s not a big deal to me.”
Before the 11 a.m. game, about 10 fraternities will host tailgates at 10 a.m. outside Ryan Field as part of the weekend’s FallFest, a weekend-long party sponsored by the National Panhellenic Council, Panhel and the Interfraternity Council. Tippler Contingent, a pop-rock-funk NU student band, also is scheduled to play if the weather cooperates.
“The old tailgate style is what we’re going for this year,” said Education senior Meaghen Foley, director of programming for the Panhellenic Association. “We’re going to be having the fraternities grilling at the stadium in an alcohol-free environment.
“Thankfully the season is going well. The school spirit has picked up in the last week. We’re kind of riding on that wave. The one drawback: The weather has decided not to cooperate this weekend.”
Although snow and temperatures as low as 25 degrees are predicted for Saturday, students say the chill won’t keep them from attending the game.
“If it snows, it’s all the cooler that they play through it,” Barnett said.
NU’s Marching Band has organized pep rallies at Ryan Field to welcome home the football team after the last two weeks’ wins. And the band will kick off the celebration again this week, said Weinberg junior Brian Link, NUMB’s spirit leader.
“After we win, the band will march to the side of the locker rooms for a post-game performance,” he said.
Saturday night’s event include a concert featuring the bands Kokapelli, a rock/folk band; Trace, a Phish/Grateful Dead cover band; and Jazz Mandolin Project, a jazz fusion band. The bands will play from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Fraternity Quads or in the Ryan Family Auditorium, depending on the weather.
For students planning to celebrate, losing isn’t even a consideration.
“We’re going all the way to the Rose Bowl, baby,” said Nate Taflove, a Weinberg freshman.
