 "Photo: The battalion file picture")
Six days out of the week the Texas A&M campus is a place of academics where the only loud sound is often the chants of corps groups as they do their afternoon runs. Then, on Saturday, Texas A&M shuts the books and opens the gates to Kyle Field as thousands of Aggies pack the campus for gameday. For years the lead-up to any given Saturday's big game would focus on the stadium itself and the Memorial Student Center. Starting in fall 2009 and lasting until 2012, the MSC will be closed for construction and the routine will be shuffled around slightly.
The closure of the MSC will move around some amenities, most notably restrooms. Portable facilities and the restrooms in Koldus will remain open. The construction will also force Joe Routt Boulevard to be closed, which is the street along which the Zone entrance of Kyle Field is located. While the road is closed, it should not affect any gameday activities occurring in the plaza in front of the zone.
Tailgating should also not be affected at all by the construction occurring at the MSC. Open Access Sites at Spence Park and the Reed Arena grass will remain the same. RV lots and other tailgating sites will also remain the same.
Tailgating before the game has become another Aggie tradition. Many Aggies enjoy tailgating before the game in their own unique style. It is not uncommon to see many tents with class years dating back to the '40s.
For many, tailgating is a personal tradition that dates back to when they were students at A&M. Tailgating areas come in all shapes and sizes. Some are simple setups, a tent, some chairs and a grill. Others are more complex, including generators, specially-designed buses, and large grills that can only be towed. The University is accommodating to tailgaters, in that generators and elaborate setups are allowed in some places, and proper coal disposal bins allow tailgaters to safely dispose of coals.
For many Aggies, the food and camaraderie that one can be a part of before the game is the prime appeal of tailgating.
"The food is amazing, eating before the game and being with friends, that's what makes it so fun," said senior biomedical science major Jessirae Frerichs. "There are tents everywhere and some even have TVs in them watching all the different games."
While tailgating is a fun tradition at Texas A&M, the experience of gameday at Aggieland peaks with the game itself.
"It was exciting," Frerichs said of her first gameday experience at Kyle Field. "It was a great experience and very fun. I went to the very first football game my freshman year against The Citadel. Every year I look forward to the start of football season again."
The tradition at Kyle Field is rampant, with the largest student section in the nation, the Spirit of '02, which fires after every Aggie touchdown or field goal, the corps block, Reveille and the Yell Leaders on the sidelines.
"My first game I was so overwhelmed with the atmosphere of tradition and spirit," said junior accounting major Michelle Tiano. "The stadium was so big and so loud it was amazing."
Kyle Field seats 83,002 people, though it routinely breaks that record, and is considered by many experts to be among the loudest stadiums in college sports.
"The rush you get with your friends up in the stands after the wrecking crew has a successful goal line stand, nothing tops that," said senior engineering major Ross Maha.
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