Both the NFL and college football seasons are in full swing, with the regular season starting to heat up. Chances are, if you are from a state where many students go to the state schools, like my home state of Georgia, your Instagram feed has been flooded with friends going to college football games over the past several weeks. Perhaps, like me, you have recently had to confront the reality that GW does not have a football team. If so, D.C.’s NFL team, the Commanders, is for you.
Of course, while applying to GW, I knew that we did not have a football team, but I greatly underestimated how much not having one would impact me. After I was accepted, I scoured the internet, trying to find out as much about GW as possible, watching YouTube videos like “A Day in the Life at GW.” During this process, I came across jokes about GW’s football team being undefeated since there is no longer a team —which, admittedly, is rather funny. It wasn’t until the past couple of weeks that I realized how much I missed having a football team at my school.
Not only is it fun to watch the games, but school football games create a great amount of school spirit and community. I attended many football games at my high school and for me, it was more of a social event than anything, having tailgates in the parking lot before the games and going out for dinner afterward. During my first few weeks at GW, I deeply missed that social bond I created in high school over football, and the other social events were just not cutting it for me.
As a lifelong Commanders fan, cheering for the team felt like second nature when I arrived in the District. D.C. and football have always been synonymous because of the die-hard fanbase that the team has, even during its recent losing years. In my time in D.C. so far, watching the Commanders at a local sports bar has fostered a community spirit. I found this out purely by accident walking through Western Market one day finding fans — including GW students — cheering on the Commanders at Expat during the team’s first game.
GW does not have a football team to build school spirit around, but it has a great sense of city spirit. It is time to channel that city spirit into the Washington Commanders. The Commanders have struggled greatly for the past two decades under the horrific regime of former owner Dan Snyder. But now — just two years into the new ownership group led by Josh Harris and during the rookie season of Heisman winner Jayden Daniels — the Commanders are having an incredibly promising start to their season with a 4-2 record, even securing a prime-time win on Monday Night Football against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. As someone who has cheered for this team since I was five years old, I have watched some of the worst seasons that the Commanders have ever played, where every Sunday afternoon is a drag where you want to turn off the TV and throw the remote across the room. Take it from me when I say that this is exciting football, and now is the time to go out and cheer for the Commanders.
In my experience, rallying around a football team generates a sense of school spirit — or, in this case, a community that is hard to match. Nothing really compares to spending the weekend with your friends eating chicken wings and barbecue, screaming at the TV when your favorite team or player messes up or makes a game-winning play. This especially rings true for anyone who has been a Commanders fan. Sticking with this team through thick and thin, fans like me who have been watching this team are more excited than ever to have new fans because of this monumental start to the season. Next thing you know, all of D.C. will be your new friend because everyone is experiencing the same thrilling game on the weekend. I have noticed the Mount Vernon Express drivers and mail staff on the Mount Vernon Campus are practically giddy that their hometown team is becoming successful again after years of suffering under an incompetent ownership group. A couple sitting at the table next to me at Tatte was dissecting the Commanders’ big Monday Night Football win the day after it happened. There is certainly a buzz in the air, and I would hop on board the Commanders train now because this is about to be an exciting season.
GW students are always told that the city is our campus, and we embrace that in so many different ways. Now, it is time that we embrace our “campus” football team because it’s our chance to create school spirit and a long-lasting community.
Carter Willis, a freshman majoring in political science, is an opinions writer.
