Must-see/do on gameday

[Darren6]

Hello all,
My son will be starting BC in the Fall, coming up from New Orleans, and my wife and I will be up there for parents weekend and we will be attending the Temple game. He will be in the marching band so I have read about the Eagle walk and pregame pep-rally event on the steps, anything else that you can recommend we see or do? As an LSU alum, I have seen some pretty impressive gameday/tailgating atmospheres...we can't wait to get up there and take part in your culture. Thanks in advance!

[HJS]

Hello all,
My son will be starting BC in the Fall, coming up from New Orleans, and my wife and I will be up there for parents weekend and we will be attending the Temple game. He will be in the marching band so I have read about the Eagle walk and pregame pep-rally event on the steps, anything else that you can recommend we see or do? As an LSU alum, I have seen some pretty impressive gameday/tailgating atmospheres...we can't wait to get up there and take part in your culture. Thanks in advance!

Welcome and congrats to your son. The one thing I would suggest is getting your hotel and restaurant reservations booked sooner rather than later. Tailgating is for donors only. But, it is likely that some band parents will organize a tailgate (that is likely your best option). From someone who has visited Baton Rouge for the 2010 Bama game, BC's gameday atmosphere is more akin to LSU's Spring Game.

[twballgame9]

I'd definitely recommend doing the touristy Boston stuff downtown if you have never been to the city before. The game will likely be an early afternoon game, noon or 1 if I had to guess.

Tailgating is going to be interesting this year. They built a giant indoor football field and weight room in the middle of the historically prime tailgating area, and I am not sure they have figured out how that is all going to shake out. HJS is right that you can't park on campus unless you are a donor, so plan on the T, cab or Uber to get to and from the Stadium.

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

you also might have some luck asking your question at the bcinterruption site https://www.bcinterruption.com/ (don't worry loyal degenerates, i did not meatbomb him on his first visit)

one of their moderators/administrators is a band alumni so he may have a bead on what they do and when/how they do it. ask for tubasteak. my only warning is that i don't think he imbibes in adult beverages himself, but he likely knows about those that do

[Los]

Tailgating is going to be interesting this year. They built a giant indoor football field and weight room in the middle of the historically prime tailgating area, and I am not sure they have figured out how that is all going to shake out.

My guess is anyone who was previously eligible for Shea will end up at Vanderslice, Robsham or 2150 Comm Ave. They also just opened up additional lots on the more affordable end of the spectrum (McElroy, Upper Brighton) which may be where some people go who don't want to shell out the minimum for Shea or Walsh. It's interesting that they're now offering full tailgating on the Brighton campus, which we were always led to believe was impossible.

[DomingoOrtiz]

Hello all,
My son will be starting BC in the Fall, coming up from New Orleans, and my wife and I will be up there for parents weekend and we will be attending the Temple game. He will be in the marching band so I have read about the Eagle walk and pregame pep-rally event on the steps, anything else that you can recommend we see or do? As an LSU alum, I have seen some pretty impressive gameday/tailgating atmospheres...we can't wait to get up there and take part in your culture. Thanks in advance!

Congratulations!!! You are wise to come to this group for advice.
You may want to look into attending the Pops-On-The-Heights which takes place the night before the game and your son will be involved with.

[Darren6]

[quote The one thing I would suggest is getting your hotel and restaurant reservations booked sooner rather than later. Tailgating is for donors only. But, it is likely that some band parents will organize a tailgate (that is likely your best option). From someone who has visited Baton Rouge for the 2010 Bama game, BC's gameday atmosphere is more akin to LSU's Spring Game.][/quote]

We have reserved an AirBNB for the weekend. Being a LSU season ticket holder, I was a little surprised at some of the tailgating rules that I read on the BC website (such as the tailgate must be dismantled two hours after the game has ended). At LSU it is very common for the tailgates to run well into the night (most of the home games begin at 7pm) and are broken down on Sunday morning. I realize that the two schools are different in their beliefs but that was a bit shocking. We will do some of the tourist-y things next month when we move him up mid-August and will have more time. We have not been up to visit the campus yet, but will be up there next month. We can't wait to see it, everything that we have seen online looks beautiful, and here's to hoping for some temps in the 70s...the 94 degrees and 100% humidity down here gets a bit old).

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

if you wish to enjoy your gameday experience, i suggest you spend the entirety of your flight/drive to the game trying to forget everything you know about sec tailgating

if you hate the noise, crowds, food/drink, tailgating games/activities, and general merriment of lsu tailgates, you might have a good time during bc gameday. if you like any of those aspects of the lsu tailgate, you can at least enjoy the fact that bc is a great place the other 358 days of the year

[DomingoOrtiz]

Tailgating is going to be interesting this year. They built a giant indoor football field and weight room in the middle of the historically prime tailgating area, and I am not sure they have figured out how that is all going to shake out.

My guess is anyone who was previously eligible for Shea will end up at Vanderslice, Robsham or 2150 Comm Ave. They also just opened up additional lots on the more affordable end of the spectrum (McElroy, Upper Brighton) which may be where some people go who don't want to shell out the minimum for Shea or Walsh. It's interesting that they're now offering full tailgating on the Brighton campus, which we were always led to believe was impossible.

There were only about 25 spots on Shea last year (where the softball field was).

[DavidGordonsFoot]

Definitely go to Pops on the Heights on Parents' Weekend and definitely spend time exploring Boston even if you do the touristy stuff in August. We love BC and it is nice to walk around the campus in autumn, but everything about the game day experience is going to pale in comparison to LSU (Except for your seats, maybe, because the stadium is so much smaller than Tiger Stadium).

[bcshater]

Definitely go to Pops on the Heights on Parents' Weekend and definitely spend time exploring Boston even if you do the touristy stuff in August. We love BC and it is nice to walk around the campus in autumn, but everything about the game day experience is going to pale in comparison to LSU (Except for your seats, maybe, because the stadium is so much smaller than Tiger Stadium).

Agreed Pops on the Heights is a great take. Do the sing-along for the oldest fight song in the country, "For Boston".

[Corporal Funishment]

The ritual declaration and burning of the redshirts is classic albeit somewhat macabre, there's a one-man french fry eating contest where you can see a certain member of the athletic department demonstrate competency the polar opposite of his playcalling, a stadium tour before the game of our glorious domed stadium is excellent - don't miss a single corner, bear attack and prevention safety demonstrations are not fun but certainly invaluable, sometimes there's an eagle you can take pictures with

[b0mberMan]

Welcome!

I hope your son is excited for his freshman year. I really enjoyed my four years at BC and I think everyone on this board would say they did too, which is why we are all on this obscure part of the internet during work hours.

I agree with our posters that you're in for a different experience than LSU's But let's not call it Bad: just different. You will get to experience the traditional BC rituals of "getting yelled at by a State Trooper to put your folding table away 20 minutes before kickoff," the traditional outfits of "Red Sox hat and Patriots jersey" and of course the timeless honored "leaving in the 3rd quarter."

Parent's weekend is a good atmosphere to see your kid and meet some of the dormmates and get a lobster or some Italian downtown. But you'll really have to make it up for a big game, like Notre Dame, to see the most venerated tailgating tradition: The Pony Riding.

[Salzano14]

you also might have some luck asking your question at the bcinterruption site https://www.bcinterruption.com/ (don't worry loyal degenerates, i did not meatbomb him on his first visit)

one of their moderators/administrators is a band alumni so he may have a bead on what they do and when/how they do it. ask for tubasteak. my only warning is that i don't think he imbibes in adult beverages himself, but he likely knows about those that do

It is I, the humble tubasteak. Shockingly, I've had a few drinks the last couple years. That probably explains the single solitary hair on my chest.

Anyway I played the trumpet and was conductor of the band my last two years. Congratulations Mr. Darren on your son coming to BC! It goes by too quickly.

Some of what the band does on gameday has changed since I was a student, but it's mostly the same deal. There's a short practice early in the morning on the field before we all change into our uniforms, I'm not positive if parents or anyone is allowed in for that though my guess is no. Afterward a lot of the parents (and people generally walking around campus) liked to watch the different band sections (high brass, percussion, etc) warm up in their respective locations on campus near Conte. It's like 15-20 minutes and not exactly a big deal but if you're into watching your kid do his band thing that's something. Depending on what instrument your son plays I could let you know where they are but they're all in the immediate vicinity of Conte.

Right after that the band sections all congregate on the steps of Conte for "Peptacular" which is a mini-concert of stands music and sometimes the music from the halftime show (the pep rally thing you mentioned). The Eagle Walk as you mentioned is also obviously a must do. Other than that, just kind of strolling around checking out the best looking campus in the world is nice.

Being in the Marching Band as a freshman is one of the best things your son can do. You're on campus and moved in weeks before everyone else, you become close friends with a billion people including upperclassmen, and you get your ass kicked on smoldering artificial turf for 9 hours a day. I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Good times.

[mod6A]

Apparently Mary Ann's will still be open . Be sure to pop in for a post-game beverage.

[twballgame9]

Be sure to catch the naval battles on the reservoir.

[claver2010]

before we all change into our uniforms, I'm not positive if parents or anyone is allowed in for that though my guess is no.

[Onyx Blackman]

before we all change into our uniforms, I'm not positive if parents or anyone is allowed in for that though my guess is no.

Nobody's allowed into the locker rooms until the post-game showers.

[Salzano14]

before we all change into our uniforms, I'm not positive if parents or anyone is allowed in for that though my guess is no.

Nobody's allowed into the locker rooms until the post-game showers.

Oops

[Darren6]

Thanks to all of you for your feedback. Y'all are really reciprocating some of that good ole southern hospitality that we are accustomed to down here. We decided to not attend the Pops on the Heights this year, and now the tickets are sold out and the wife is regretting her decision...but we will try catching it next year.

Salzano14...thanks for your input on the band side of things. I played trumpet with LSU for five years, and my son has followed in my footsteps but chose BC over UCLA and LSU, so now there are a few more BC fans in New Orleans. LSU does the same type of sectional warm-ups on gameday so I know exactly what you are referring to. He is very excited, as is the whole family, to get up there and experience a whole different type of atmosphere than what we have down here.

One thing that I had to chuckle at...reading through a preseason outlook that said BC needs better play at QB, has a North/South running game, and a good young defense...and I immediately reverted back to what I have watched LSU football for the past several seasons. Hopefully BC can get in the win column a bunch and get to a decent bowl game.

[MF73-Eleazar]

One thing that I had to chuckle at...reading through a preseason outlook that said BC needs better play at QB, has a North/South running game, and a good young defense...and I immediately reverted back to what I have watched LSU football for the past several seasons. Hopefully BC can get in the win column a bunch and get to a decent bowl game.

Get used to the frustration of us running the ball 40+ times. Welcome aboard.

[Darren6]

One thing that I had to chuckle at...reading through a preseason outlook that said BC needs better play at QB, has a North/South running game, and a good young defense...and I immediately reverted back to what I have watched LSU football for the past several seasons. Hopefully BC can get in the win column a bunch and get to a decent bowl game.

Get used to the frustration of us running the ball 40+ times. Welcome aboard.

I've seen LSU run Stevan Ridley, Jeremy Hill, Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice up the middle for the last 10 years or so, a lot of times successfully, but then against teams like Bama for very little gain and continued to pound over and over into that brick wall....only to try it again! So I can understand your guys' frustration. But I like what I have seen from Dillon (last year's highlights) and hope that I can get some of the BC games down here on TV. I know that there is a Thurs and a Friday game that should be nationally televised.

[DomingoOrtiz]

We have reserved an AirBNB for the weekend. .

Brighton, Alston, Brookline, Newton?

[Darren6]

We have reserved an AirBNB for the weekend. .

Brighton, Alston, Brookline, Newton?

Somerville when we move him up mid-August, Allston-Brighton when we come up for parents weekend (Temple game)

[hansen]

One thing that I had to chuckle at...reading through a preseason outlook that said BC needs better play at QB, has a North/South running game, and a good young defense...and I immediately reverted back to what I have watched LSU football for the past several seasons. Hopefully BC can get in the win column a bunch and get to a decent bowl game.

Get used to the frustration of us running the ball 40+ times. Welcome aboard.

I have no problem running the ball that many times if successful. If we are putting points on the board and scoring more than the other team, then I am happy and could give a shit less how we do it.

I actually think running a power running game in an era when everyone else is running something else is an advantage. It means teams are less prepared for our offense.

Really excited for this years team... is it 10-2 season yet?

[TontoKowalski]

Darren,

Congratulations to your son and welcome to the BC community! You have definitely chosen the right BC board/location to ask your questions. Having great familiarity with your section of the world, I have added some helpful notes for you.

Understanding Massholes' speech takes a while. It's not just the pace or the lack of Rs or the strange nouns like 'bubblah' or even the broader issue of smashing vowels flatter than armadillo roadkill on I-10, but all of it together at once will leave you occasionally bewildered and confused. Particularly if the Masshole with whom you are speaking is inflated with the responsibility of what they feel is some kind of important, official duty - I recommend saying 'what' or 'pardon?' until the person screaming at you to break down your tailgate has a face that's turned redder than Tabasco, at which point you can start trying to understand whatever they're saying.

Also note that around 70% of the time someone uses the word 'barbecue', they are actually just grilling hamburgers and hot dogs. I'm sorry in advance - the almost Pavlovian response you will have to this sacred word being bandied about so frivolously will be very disappointing if you are not warned.

These things aside, the education is (or was) phenomenal and the whole experience is wonderful - as a city, Boston is safe, easy to get around sans car, and oriented towards students instead of loutish hordes of perverted tourists barfing into hurricane cups.

Also, steepandcheap.com is having massive bargain bin sales right now - if your son doesn't have a winter coat, hit it while it's hot. He's going to need one.

[Darren6]

Thanks for the welcome Tonto! Pretty dead on about the tourists and hurricane cups in NOLA, I do my best to stay away from the French Quarter. Thanks also for the heads up on that website. I told my son to check it out. Looking forward to interact with everyone here as we learn about Boston

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

... Looking forward to interact with everyone here as we learn about Boston

I give you a month. You’ll call us a cesspool of hate and disappear before kickoff of game 1

Source: pretty much anyone that’s tried to join this clan of idiots

[innocentbystander]

Thanks for the welcome Tonto! Pretty dead on about the tourists and hurricane cups in NOLA, I do my best to stay away from the French Quarter. Thanks also for the heads up on that website. I told my son to check it out. Looking forward to interact with everyone here as we learn about Boston

Welcome to EO Darren, and congratulations to your son getting into BC. Everyone here is great.

[RegalBCeagle]

Think of LSU Gameday as a Trump/Republican rally and BC as an Elizabeth Warren/Democrat rally. Decide which one you would prefer to be at.

But seriously, someone said it best when they said not to compare the two experiences. I've been to SEC tailgates at UGA and had a great time. I've also tailgated at BC over the decades and also enjoyed myself tremendously. Besides alcohol and NCAA Football, there's not much alike.