(Written by Marshall Superfan Brad Arvin. Follow him on Twitter @Brad64549130.)
As I woke from my sleep this fine morning, anticipation built for “GAME DAY “. After everything that I needed to do was done, and by 8:30 a.m. no less, my group of 7 College Football Fans were heading South on Interstate 81. The Fall colors were beautiful all along the Shenandoah Valley as we made our way to Harrisonburg.
When we arrived, the tailgating had already begun on Homecoming Day for JMU. Purple tents trimmed in gold for as far as the eye could see.
We chose the free parking option in the parking garage adjacent to the Atlantic Union Bank Center. We also had the option of a free shuttle service to and from Bridgeforth Stadium. Seeing that we were blessed with the most beautiful Fall afternoon we decided to walk from the East Campus to the West. After crossing I-81 via a tunnel under the highway we walked right into the largest tailgating area in the Stadium parking lot. Our group mulled over our decision of what to do and decided to just walk around and see what JMU Tailgating was all about!
We were stopped by a gentleman wearing purple and gold who welcomed us to the university. We were then ushered into the tent where we had a cold adult beverage and two shots of the smoothest apple pie moonshine I’ve ever tasted! We were offered food but passed due to having brunch before parking and starting our walk. After exchanging pleasantries we continued to our entrance to the stadium.
I’ll just say that as far as football goes, Marshall secured the victory! JMU had a few injuries at key positions and The Herd mustered just enough offense to go along with their lights-out defense to secure the win. After the final seconds had ticked off the clock and a quick handshake with Marshall University President Brad Smith, we decided to walk back across Campus. Whether it’s in the daylight or after dark, JMU is a gorgeous place to visit or attend school. I highly recommend anyone who’s team is playing JMU to make this trip! You won’t regret it.
