On Saturday night, Binghamton University’s men’s soccer team suffered a heartbreaker of a defeat to America East-rival Vermont in front of a Homecoming crowd of over 1,600. The Bearcats gave up a penalty two minutes before the end of the second overtime period. The Catamounts converted it for a goal and walked away the victors, though not before making a show of taking their shirts off and yelling at the crowd that had been taunting them for the previous 108 minutes.
The fans were provocative, but that we could even solicit this sort of sore-winner reaction from an opponent is encouraging. Having a packed Binghamton crowd verbally abuse a team of 20-year-old athletes in tempestuous, frigid weather reflects just how far school spirit can reach at this University. And this passion from the fans showed through as the players fed off the energy of the crowd, playing some of their most motivated soccer of the season—which was likewise noted by the team’s head coach.
But this shouldn’t be unique to Homecoming. Ask any player, and he or she will tell you that our teams thrive on their peers’ support. Ask the BU Zoo, which has met with each of the fall’s major programs, just how much the players value a familiar face cheering in the crowd. Ask any fan how rewarding it is to take part in one of our program’s victories, to celebrate with their student-athlete peers at the end of a successful campaign. The feeling is mutual.
One aspect of college sports culture we miss most weekends but which is present over Homecoming is the ability to tailgate. Being a divided campus — with mostly the underaged living on campus, easily able to attend games, and the older, legal drinkers living too far away to commute by foot — enjoying a casual beer before or while watching a game just isn’t feasible to legal consumers. If students could tailgate in the Events Center parking lot before every game, student attendance surely wouldn’t be as low as it is now. Furthermore, it could also increase attendance from community members as well. There’s no reason we shouldn’t try to foster a greater love for our sports teams from residents in the area, and there’s no better way to share the local spirit than with a good ol’ fashioned tailgate.
While Homecoming Weekend is a special occasion that gives us all an extra excuse to come out to a home game, this camaraderie can happen during any game. Rather than complain about our undefeated football team, we should capitalize on the opportunities we do have: soccer games, basketball games and — if you’re very patient — baseball games.
To put it gently, we’re not currently surrounded by an enthusiastic sports consumer culture, but we have the facilities and the resources available to lay the foundation for that culture now.
Tailgating is a reliable tactic to enliven the crowds at the West Gym, Events Center and Bearcats Sports Complex. We saw on Saturday that our athletes are generally responsible and high-character — they can deal with the aftermath of rowdy crowd support. And that sort of enthusiasm is nothing but promising to higher-caliber recruits, who, like all performers, crave an audience receptive to their craft. The process of building name recognition has to start somewhere, and just because we’re in a smaller conference doesn’t mean it’s a dead-end path. We have some of the finest facilities in the America East. We should use them.
And to Binghamton University: You doled out millions on these stadium renovations, why not make some of that back? Sell beer at games and in the parking lot; you’ll sell more merchandise and food. It’s just smart business.
Just because we don’t have a football team doesn’t mean we can’t be a sports school. Let’s keep the momentum going.