SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — Florida A&M University's Bragg Memorial Stadium welcomed fans back for the first home football game in 301 days, bringing together first-year students experiencing game day on the hill for the first time and vendors who have built their businesses around the Rattlers' home schedule.
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For FAMU freshmen, the season opener marked their introduction to game day traditions, including a live performance by the university's famed Marching 100.
"I'm here for the band. Honestly, I never go to games to watch the team, I'm going to be honest," Adalia Thomas, FAMU freshman, said.
The excitement carried over from a pep rally held the day before, where the band made an impression on students who had never seen them perform.
"I was talking to a boy after, he was in the band, he was like, 'Oh, we weren't that coordinated.' But it sounded great to me, so I said, 'Oh, game day, they're going to do so well,'' Trinity Shelton-Jones, FAMU freshman, said.
Beyond the band, students said game day at FAMU is about community and connection.
"I'm personally just excited for like the opportunities. I plan on making a lot of connections today, going out my way to just, you know, compliment, say, 'Girl, hey, your hair is cute, your shoes are cute, I love the outfit.' Like I just think game day is very like a big culture thing, and everyone's going to be at game day," Shelton said.
The large crowds that fill Bragg Memorial Stadium also mean business for vendors who set up at FAMU home games.
Ira Anderson-Rogers, with D & I's Seafood Plus, said her family has been a fixture at those games for nearly three decades, drawing loyal customers with a menu that includes gator and frog legs.
"We have customers that rely on us. They love the gator, the frog leg. We have different types of stuff different people love, and our food tastes great," Anderson-Rogers said.
With the new season underway, vendors said they are eager to grow their businesses as a new class of Rattlers begins their college experience.
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