The summer is flying by. We have survived a global pandemic, a very weird 2020 season, and the college football off-season yet again. We are now 57 days away from college football kickoff. Every fan has a different routine to get ready for “their” season. Here is what every avid college football fan needs to do to get through the last few weeks, a checklist to help you get ready for the upcoming season. Obviously, everyone has their own routine; these are just some helpful reminders to make sure the upcoming football season goes as smoothly as possible. Below are 25 things to help you prepare for the 2021 college football season.
Prepare For 2021 College Football Season
25 Things To Do Before Kickoff
#25. Download a “countdown to kickoff” app on your phone, if you haven’t done so already! I personally do this within milliseconds of the confetti falling at the conclusion of the National Championship game.
#24. Pull out last year’s lucky “outfit” first and foremost to see if it still fits. Sometimes the off-season/holiday and or pandemic weight makes items a little snug. That weight also likes to hang around longer and longer with each passing year.
#23. Check your inbox for sale emails from the numerous college football apparel websites. You’ll want to check their preseason sales, just in time to stock up before kickoff. Also, it’s a great excuse to head to campus and check out the bookstore. Don’t forget to order new gear for the kids and pets. Everyone must be ready for game day!
#22. Get back into the practice of wearing your favorite football tees as much as possible. Put them all back into the rotation. “Football Fridays” should be a thing from now until the end of the season. Arrange game day shirts according to team schedule.
#21. Go over the football schedule to make sure you know your MUST ATTEND games. Send out reminders to your fellow fans on tentative plans for those MUST ATTEND games. Also, make a list of secondary games. College football season is short, so you’ll need to get in as many games as possible in the three-month regular season. Reach out to the friends you would “allow” to attend a game with you, and get those games on your calendar.
#20. Prepare the liver. Pretty self-explanatory here. We all know how much organ preparation goes into tailgating and game day. The closer to the season, the earlier you should start drinking on a Saturday.
Planning, Planning, and Getting Hyped:
#19. Travel plans: plane tickets, hotel rooms, pet sitters, and rental cars. Make your reservations now. And don’t forget to request those vacation days at work.
#18. Get hyped for the 2021 football season by watching your head coach speak at Media Days. Most conferences televise these its always fun to hear the latest coach speak.
#18.5 Re-watch all the games you DVR’d from the previous year.
#17. Memorize scores and stats from last season. Then, practice your witty and educated response for arguments with the opposing team fans.
#16. Are you part of a tailgating crew? Reach out to fellow tailgaters, and get that game schedule worked out. Start planning meal ideas, as lots of tailgating recipes will start popping over the next few weeks as fans prepare for their favorite time of the year.
#15. Binge-watch Netflix seasons to prepare your glutes for sitting through numerous games all day Saturday.
#14. Hit the bookstore or website for any items you might need for the upcoming season. Ponchos are cheap and easy to store, and it is better to have them before you need them. Tents, cups, BBQ stuff, shot glasses, beer mugs, plates, napkins, socks, hats, mittens, stickers, water bottles, etc etc etc! You get the idea. Anything with your team logo on it, ORDER it NOW!
Updates, Alerts, and Notifications:
#13. Update your calendar with the entire 2021 schedule. Your team. Their team. ALL THE TEAMS!
#12. Set alerts with game times and TV stations, as soon as they are available. Times are released weekly when the season starts. Set your DVR to record for post-game analysis.
#11. Most teams have a Fan Appreciation Day to help kick off the season, so keep an eye on your team website for that date to be released. It is usually a great event to get player autographs and a limited edition schedule poster for the upcoming season. If you are lucky, you could even get a picture with the head coach to use as a new profile picture on all your social media sites.
#10. Download and update any team or sports apps you have on your phone, set notifications, etc.
#9. Get to know your team names and jersey numbers when the 2021 rosters are released.
#8. Keep an eye on your favorite alumni as they go through the NFL preseason camps, workouts, and eventually the roster cuts. It is always nice to have an extra player or three to cheer for.
#7. Go through Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Follow any new players for your team.
#6. Go through Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Follow any new coaches your team has added.
#5. Go through Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Follow any well-known team parents and fans.
#4. Go through Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Follow any journalists covering your team. *ahem* And be sure to follow Last Word on College Football, as well as yours truly! Follow and RT me, as I will be keeping you updated with all of your college football needs throughout the season!
Never Miss A Minute:
#3. Set alerts so you don’t miss your head coach’s weekly press conference or the call-in shows.
#2. Season tickets, away game tickets, tickets in general, should all be ordered.
#1. Never miss a story by signing up for Google alerts with your team and your coach’s names as keywords.
The Greatest Time Of The Year
Ultimately these are a few things I personally do to get ready for the season. Everyone is different, and it is important to realize that I might be a tad bit “FAN”atical about football. However, you should always be prepared for football season; it comes up fast and flies by even faster.
