College Football Opening Weekend
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (125462)
Gainesville, Florida
August 30, 2025 10:43am CST
It's finally here! The wait has been excruciating, but I am now in football heaven knowing that for the next 4 months college football will be back in action.
I attended the University of Florida as a student, and still live very close to the campus. To say that I am an avid Gator fan is an understatement. I have been a football season ticket holder for more years than I care to count, and I tailgate every Saturday that there is a home football game.
Today is opening day for the Gators, kicking off at 7pm against Long Island University. I'm about to head out to the tailgate, where I will meet up with about a dozen of my old college buddies. We tailgate right on campus near the football stadium, and have a great setup with tents, big screen tv, food, drinks and plenty of camaraderie. First up will be watching the Texas vs. Ohio State game, an epic battle of the number 1 and 2 ranked teams in the country. Texas joins the SEC this year (the same conference the Gators are in), so this will be an important game to watch. The Gators play Texas here at home in several weeks. I will be rooting for Texas today against Ohio State.
Are any of you excited for the start of college football, or are you fans of college football? If so, what teams do you support?
The Gator colors are orange and blue. The photo is me in the M&M store in Time Square in New York City a few years ago showing off the orange and blue M&M characters.
12 people like this
9 responses
@wolfgirl569 (121742)
• Marion, Ohio
30 Aug
Don't watch it but I know Ohio State won today. I have an escape room set up to avoid football.
4 people like this
@FourWalls (78353)
• United States
31 Aug
@moffittjc — I find it very hard to root for Ohio State because of their fan base. Not to mention that idiotic “THE Ohio State university.” 
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (121742)
• Marion, Ohio
31 Aug
@moffittjc I hope they will still have a good game for you
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (125462)
• Gainesville, Florida
31 Aug
I admit I dislike both Ohio State and Texas, but was pulling for Texas since my Gators play them in a few weeks. It’s going to be a big game, but not as important now that Texas won’t be #1 anymore.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (78353)
• United States
30 Aug
No, no, NO!!!! It’s still baseball season!!!!
And, while it has changed in recent years, opening weekend is usually the #1 team playing St. Boniface Brothers of the Lame and Blind College or something.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (125462)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Aug
Your second sentence made me laugh out loud for real! You are so right about that, I was actually surprised to #1 and #2 facing off with each other in their first game. But, to me, that is what sets the elite teams apart from the mediocre ones. I hate that the Gators always start off their season playing against a cupcake team.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (78353)
• United States
31 Aug
@moffittjc — a lot of the teams in the strong conferences (like the SEC) do that so they can at least have some victories before Alabama or Tennessee or now Texas rolls into town. I remember Notre Dame having all those high rankings in the 70s, but they never played anyone, so WHY did they have those high rankings. Flawed as it is, the playoff system is much better now than it was then, because then it was ten teams playing cupcakes all season long and the poll voters picking their favorite.
Had to look up what an “LIU” was. Long Island University. Florida is shaking in their shoes over those guys. 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (125462)
• Gainesville, Florida
31 Aug
@FourWalls I had to look up LIU as well. I kept thinking it was a team from Louisiana, but I was a tad off. Lol
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (158520)
• United States
30 Aug
I don't pay attention to any sports... I do have a friend who is an avid Gators fan, though. He's got keychains, stickers and all kinds of junk around his house celebrating the team... 
2 people like this
He really is a good guy.@DaddyEvil (158520)
• United States
31 Aug
@moffittjc His name is Chris and I'll tell him next time I talk with him. 
@moffittjc (125462)
• Gainesville, Florida
31 Aug
He sounds like a great guy, I need to meet him! Lol
2 people like this
@moffittjc (125462)
• Gainesville, Florida
31 Aug
Tailgating is basically any pre-game festivities you partake in before going to the game. It can involved lots and lots of friends (and strangers) getting together to drink, barbecue, drink some more, socialize, watch tv, drink some more, and generally get yourself psyched up and ready for the game.
And yes, if the game is not located in your city, it can involved getting together at someone's house or at a sports bar to watch the game on tv.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (199578)
• United States
31 Aug
How can you keep up with college tailgating AND Disney? I am a Cleveland Browns fan. Will watch an Ohio State game occasionally. Also the Bengals.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (199578)
• United States
1 Sep
@moffittjc That's nuts! Well at least you're enjoying yourself. How are you paintballers doing?
@MarieCoyle (47942)
•
31 Aug
U of I had their first football game last night, and won. The city was nuts, the streets absolutely clogged with traffic, cops everywhere trying to keep it moving, people everywhere. We finished up son's appointment and got out of there! Oh, and U of I's colors are blue and orange as well..
.I am not a football person. I just don't enjoy it. Back in the day, a school friend on a football team ended up on the bottom of one of those tackle piles...with a back broken in several places. He never walked again, and passed away a few years later. I think he gave up. I know those things don''t happen often, but it affected me, and my family a lot, and made me leary of football.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (47942)
•
1 Sep
@moffittjc
Yes, that's true. I just can't get into football. Forgive me, Jeff.
@kareng (79337)
• United States
31 Aug
You already know I love football and the LSU Tigers! We upset Clemson! Good game but I still disagree with that call of the overturned TD we made in the 3rd quarter (I believe it was still the 3rd).
I see ya'll had a shut out!! But also got an easy team!!
And how about the Tide! They played a pathetic game!!
@RasmaSandra (88533)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Aug
I am totally not a sports fan, but I can understand your excitement and enjoy college football.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (125462)
• Gainesville, Florida
31 Aug
For the last 5 years I have toned it down a bit, but I miss being an avid fan, so it felt good to be back in full crazy fan mode. Lol
1 person likes this
