The 105th match and the end of an era

Today the Huskers and the Cyclones faced off for the 105th time, marking the oldest rivalry in Iowa State University history and sadly the end of an era. Next year the University of Nebraska leaves the Big XII Conference and joins the Big X and will never play Iowa State University again.

The upside to this is Jamie will be free to fully join me in cheering the Huskers on against the rest of the Big X so finally we'll be able to root for them together. Maybe then he'll finally wear the Husker Football t-shirt I gave him when we were dating. :)

This morning we went to the stadium early and walked around all the tailgaters in a sea of red crimson, cardinal and more than a little gold.

We came across fair friends who proudly sported new shirts made up just for this game. Jamie quickly fell in with their schemes and thought these shirts were brilliant.

Needing some air, and thinking to myself these shirts were a bit brash we left in search of friendlier turf and came across an intriguing bunch.

Some of the Iowan supporters of the Husker state next door were even quite boisterous and begged to pose for photos.

Perhaps feeling out of place, Jamie suggested we keep moving along, and so we left the tailgaters and went inside the stadium to report for duty.

We are very fortunate to be suite hosts in the football stadium suites. Here you can see some of the windows where our guests sit in their boxes and watch the games.

We were welcomed and greeted at our suite entrance by our friendly security guard.

We never grow tired of walking up the hill and watching the stadium come to life each game day.

This is where we stand each game and greet our suite guests. We help them find their suites, answer questions, and really enjoy seeing the regular attendees.

A new addition this year is the TV on the wall in the entryway where we stand. We were so excited when this was installed a few weeks ago. Now we get to see the game too! It's also really nice for guests who wait at the entrance. We've even had several guests ask us to check scores of other games so this new TV has been a great addition we've all enjoyed.

Almost as much fun as it is to see the stadium come alive is seeing it put to bed at the close of each game. We close the windows in the suites, turn off the radios and TVs, and peek out the suite windows at the buzz on the field below as the band finishes playing, fans start to return to their cars, the grounds crew scuttles about putting equipment away, and the cleanup crew begins the arduous task of prepping the stadium for the next home game.

As we walk out of the suites and down the hill back to our car, the visiting football team is gathered at the foot of the hill around their equipment semi, waiting to board the buses for the trip home. This time the team is vibrant and enthusiastic because the Huskers won in overtime by only one point against a Cyclone team who was supposed to lose by 19 according to the broadcasters. This Cyclone team, the team who beat Texas, AT HOME, a couple weeks ago, and then shocked themselves further by defeating Kansas the following week, is becoming a team to be reckoned with.

Maybe, just maybe, now that the Huskers and Cyclones won't be playing each other any longer, I'll allow myself to have two favorite teams - one in each conference. And peace will come to our household because one of us won't have to lose because our teams will no longer be playing each other. Who says change isn't a good thing? ;)