College Football: Arch Rivalry Game a Huge Success

After the ‘Year of the Upset’ last season, 2008 has a lot to live up to.  However, with more upsets, close games, and of course SEC domination in this first week, we can surely expect another event-filled season.

The top two ranked contenders in the ACC (Virginia Tech and Clemson) both fell on opening weekend, Michigan lost in the Big House again, USC tattooed Virginia, and Missouri and Illinois put together a combined 94 points and over 1,000 total yards in a shootout.

If this week is any indication of what there is to come, there is no way I’m missing out on all the action.  So this year, instead of watching these games on television I’ve decided to travel to some football games across the country.  As a student at a Washington University in St. Louis – a Division III football program – I don’t get to truly experience the beauty that is big-time football: the tens of thousands of fans who pack the stadium, the thousands more who tailgate outside, the bands, the cheerleaders, and (the concept of) amateur athletes playing simply for the pride of their school.

So this week I traveled to downtown St. Louisto catch the Missouri Tigers – Illinois Fighting Illini shootout at a sold out crowd at the Edward Jones Dome.  Like last year, the interstate rivalry would be played at a neutral site but this year each program had high expectations.  For the first time in the history of their rivalry, both teams were ranked.

The “Arch Rivalry Game” concept began last year as Illinois and Missouri decided to play at a neutral site – in St. Louis – for a few years in an effort to rekindle a historical rivalry.  Last year I went to the first installment and was treated to a surprisingly entertaining game that went down to the wire as the Tigers beat the Illini, 40-34.

Each program was entering the season after banner seasons last year in which Illinois made the Rose Bowl and Missouri finished ranked in the AP top 5.  Each looked to build that momentum in the next year in the form of a Big Ten title for the Illini and a possible national championship for Mizzou.

While my friends from Illinois and I had been planning this trip for a while, it almost didn’t happen. The “Arch Rivalry Game” – which had to resort to giving away tickets just to fill the stadium last year – sold out months ago.  Tickets were in such high demand that the game sold out within the first 30 minutes that tickets were out to the public on Ticketmaster.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?