Falcon quarterback Tyler Sheehan feels like he is going back to high school today.

It’s not because bells were installed in the academic buildings, it’s because he’ll have class today, then an evening football game.

‘It’s little different,’ Sheehan said. ‘Some of us are going to have to go to class in the morning so it’s kind of like high school again.’

Maybe the team should play some Bowling For Soup before the game. You know, ‘High School Never Ends.’

But how they feel and what music is on the pregame playlist isn’t really the point here. This column is all about you – that’s right, the student.

BG will kick off its season tonight against Troy at 7 p.m. in Doyt Perry Stadium, and there is truly no good reason for any student on- or off-campus not to be in attendance.

So let’s all join Sheehan and get in the high school mindset and go back to a time where going to the football game meant more about being with others than the actual game on the field.

I can speak from personal experience, as I come from a small town with a mediocre at best Division III high school football team. Yet, the place seemed to always be crawling with students of all ages every week, most of them clueless to what the score was.

Football fan or not, attending athletic events is way to show pride in your school and have a good time with some friends and what else do you really have to do on a Thursday night?

And this particular Thursday, the athletic department is hoping to get 10,052 students into the stadium to set a new student attendance record. Who doesn’t want to be part of history? I know I do.

Not to mention the free thunderstix that will be given to the first 10,052 students, the free food and live music at the Falcon Fiesta outside the student gate, starting at 5:30 p.m. and the game itself is a pretty big deal, as a Falcon win would be an upset and a momentum builder for the team.

‘This is a big game for us because we can get a little national recognition beating Troy,’ Sheehan said.

Nonetheless, I’m sure there are students out there who would throw out the traditional excuses of why going to a football game just isn’t worth their time, but I’m not going to have it.

‘I’ve got homework,’ you may say.

That’s almost fair, as I, for one, feel doing your homework is vital to having good grades and a successful college career, but even the best of students don’t turn in every little assignment. We are in the second week of school, I really doubt you have any significant papers to write or assignments that you can’t B.S. your way through in 30 minutes.

‘I have class,’ you may say.

Again, almost fair, as I have only intentionally skipped class on my birthday. And it didn’t kill me or my grades. The only way I will excuse you from the game is if you have an exam, and again, it’s the second week of school, so I know you don’t have one. But if you do, it’s perfectly acceptable to come to a game at half-time.

‘The stadium is so far away from Offenhauer and Founders,’ you may say.

Here’s my suggestion to those not wanting to make the 30-or-so minute walk, which I wouldn’t want to do either. Find the nearest shuttle bus stop, take a seat and wait. It will take you pretty close. Or, call your off-campus friends and see if you can hitch a ride. And if all else fails, no one ever complains about having to walk when they’re in a group of people, right?

‘Well I don’t know anything about football,’ you may say.

Well, I’m betting at least one person in your circle of friends has at least a basic knowledge of the game. If you get confused, ask him or her what just happened. And if you don’t have someone like that, cheer for the team in orange, especially if the referee puts his arms up over his hand after the team in orange crosses into the orange paint. Do the opposite when it happens to the other team.

You really don’t need to have a detailed understanding of football to come to a game and enjoy yourself. There’s the tailgating, the giveaways, the time spent with friends and if all goes well, a home team victory.

Plus, having a good crowd is really important to coaches and players.

‘You always like to play at home,’ said first-year coach Dave Clawson. ‘Hopefully, there’s a lot of orange and brown in the stands [so] that it feels like a home crowd advantage. Hopefully, we can get that student record we’re pushing for.’

No one wants to disappoint the new guy, right? Especially a new guy who has gone out of his way to make himself visible in the student community.

So let’s all take a short trip back to high school, where things were simpler and football games were more than just games. If Tyler Sheehan can do it, so can you.