Being a Furman Athletics Fan

By Colin Klaff

Obviously, being a Furman student means that I am a huge fan of all the sport teams Furman has. One of the things I love the most about being at Furman is the fact that we are a NCAA Division 1 school and compete in high level athletic competition. As someone that doesn’t play on one of the sports teams but it a big sports fan, it is so much fun to watch the Paladins compete in many different sports.

The sport I enjoy watching the most is football. The love for football seems to come automatically with being a student at a southern school. I have loved being able to go to football games the past three years because they are always a fun event. Saturdays during the fall when we have a home game are some of my favorite days because both the tailgates with friends and watching the team play one of my favorite sports. The environment is always a great time, and when the weather is nice it is an ideal way to spend a Saturday.

Another sports team that is a great time to watch is both the women’s and men’s soccer teams. Both teams play at an exceptionally high level that is fun to watch and when they play under the lights at Stone Stadium it is always an electric atmosphere. There was one game I attended where the men’s soccer team was playing Clemson and the energy in the stadium was so alive and everyone was so enthusiastic. I specifically remember that as one of the times I was most proud to be a Paladin!

The other time I felt so proud and excited to be a Paladin was at a basketball game my freshman year. At this particular game, Jordan Lyons tied the NCAA Division 1 record for three point shots made in a game! I remember everyone in the arena was going crazy and it was so loud. The energy was amazing and since then I have gone to as many basketball games I can!

I think that going to games here at Furman are so fun because in many cases you are going to support your friends. Furman having small classes and a close knit community is great because you meet all kinds of people including the athletes! I love going to sports games to support my friends and my classmates!