Fall weekends are for football. Period. The four seasons are : winter, spring, summer and football!

Ever since I can remember, I’ve spent my fall weekends either tailgating followed by watching a college football game inside Williams-Brice stadium or parked in front of the television watching multiple games! My Dad was a football fanatic and his enthusiasm for attending South Carolina home games and watching NFL on Sundays was contagious!

Growing up, every Saturday during football season when the South Carolina Gamecocks played at home, Dad and I were in the stadium, rain or shine. Dad always said, “If they have to play in the rain, there’s no reason we can’t wear rain suits and support them.” For some, it was just another game, but for me it was about tradition and quality time with my Dad.

My daughter at 1 year watching Auburn with me

Now, as a parent, I hope the kids will share my same love for spending the weekends together watching our favorite teams on the Gridiron.Last year in an effort to make it fun for the kids we met an Auburn Alumni group at a sports bar for weekly watch parties to cheer the Tigers! Several of the members also have young children and the kids are able to sit at their own booths. While I get to yell, scream and jump up and down with people that share my passion, the kids get to play, color and be social with others.

My husband didn’t attend a college with a football team but he’s a good sport about Saturdays, as long as the kids and I join him on Sundays to root for the Houston Texans! Its a little ironic that as a child I grew up rooting for the Dallas Cowboys and watching the legendary coach Tom Landry and now I pull for their biggest rival! Of course, I prefer college football over the pros because there’s so much more tradition and passion involved.

That’s actually the reason I chose to attend Auburn University over South Carolina, even though both my folks were SC alums. After visiting the campus of the “loveliest village on the Plains” I fell in love with its beauty and school traditions that ran deep. My first visit to the campus, I attended a football game with my Mom and her boyfriend, and people were so friendly. The couple sitting next to us taught me about the cheers, the songs, the pre-game “Tiger Walk” tradition and how after every home and away victories the students and fans gathered at “Toomer’s Corner” to roll the trees with toilet paper.

Years later, I attended Auburn for a year before having to transfer to University of South Carolina due to a family emergency. I’d planned to transfer back but it never worked out. So my loyalties are divided and next weekend and every weekend during football season you’ll find me cheering for Auburn and the Gamecocks as they fight for SEC domination. People often ask, what happens when they play each other and I say, “You never forget your first love and mine was Auburn. War Eagle!”

Jordan Hare Stadium Photo from Kevin Cox Getty Images

On Thursday 9/30, we’ll be pulling for the Gamecocks in their home opener against Vandy and Saturday you’ll find me wearing orange and navy while yelling at the TV as Auburn plays the Clemson Tigers.

How about you guys? Do you have any football traditions? Who is your favorite team?