Many freshmen have come to join the Skyhawk family this fall and the football game Thursday night was the first exposure to Skyhawk athletics for many of them. Right now is a prime time for students new and old alike to not only become fans of the Skyhawks, but to become “true fans.” Being a true fan is an essential part of fully enjoying what UTM has coined “the total collegiate experience.”

Whether that means simply wearing a school t-shirt with pride, painting your face on game day, or leading “start the buses” chants toward the other team when the Skyhawks win, being a fan is the easiest way, and most fun way, to show pride for our university.

Part of being a true fan is actually being there for the entirety of games. This may come as news to many UTM students, but the Skyhawk football team plays two halves of football each game. *Note to freshmen: It is not necessary to participate in the ritual you witnessed Thursday night of the student body standing seemingly in unison as the second quarter ended and moving in an orderly fashion for the exits as if it were a fire drill. For those of you who left at halftime you really missed out on something special.

There was a small group of “true fans” who were rewarded for their dedication by seeing one of the best finishes in Hardy Graham Stadium since the Skyhawk’s second half comeback and overtime victory against Tennessee Tech at homecoming two years ago.

Many of you will read in the sports pages about how quarterback Brady Wahlberg led a last minute comeback and was named the OVC’s offensive player of the week, but only a small group of you actually got to see him earn that honor.

True fans are not only found at the football games.They are also the ones who come out to support the soccer team, volleyball team and all the other sports that will soon start their seasons. True fans are ones like the group at Wednesday’s soccer match who were not held back by the fact the new bleachers had not been completed yet.

They compensated by loading their blankets, lawn chairs, and even couches into trucks and lined the field. They had a great time cheering the Skyhawks on to a dominating 6-0 victory against in-state rival UT Chattanooga.

The best part about being a true Skyhawk fan is how easy it is. As a student you get in ABSOLUTELY FREE to all home games and have access to tickets for road games which include the basketball team’s upcoming games against Louisville, Purdue, and Illinois. You can’t say the Skyhawks don’t play big name schools, you can’t say the Skyhawks aren’t winning; you can’t even say you can’t afford to attend the games. If you’re not supporting Skyhawk athletics all you can say is that you are missing out on some great action and great memories.

When you’ve been out of college for twenty years and you look back with your buddies, are you more likely to remember being there for a great comeback by the football team or beating your roommate for the eighth time that day at the same video game? Think about it then dust off that UTM t-shirt, grab your Skyhawk card and get out to the next game to cheer for the Skyhawks. You won’t be disappointed you did.