Thank you, from a BYU fan

I've been a BYU football fan since I could talk. I have had season tickets for generations at BYU games and rarely have missed a home game in 35ish years. Occasionally, I had attended BYU away games as well. In those games it always felt like our group was in our own bubble, separated from fans from whatever school we were watching. That all changed for me in 2012 attending the BYU game at South Bend.

Your fanbase was incredible. I attended the midnight drum event and then the game day walk. Even though I was decked out in Cougar blue, I had well over a hundred people thank me for coming to visit South Bend. You had knowledgeable fans who knew our players names and would strike up friendly conversation. The ushers in the stadium went out of their way to ask how my visit had been and whether they could help support my experience.

Y'all changed me. 1. Since that day, I've done everything I can to be more courteous and welcoming to visiting fans in LaVell Edwards Stadium. And 2. I've done an away game (at least one) every year since because the experience was so memorable.

I played college football and was recruited by several P4 schools (not including ND). When walking your campus (just a few years after I graduated), I thought, "How could anyone say no after visiting this place." Anyway, I'm looking forward to Saturday. I hope some of you will be treated similarly to how I was in 2012, and I'm excited to come see you again next year.