Andrew Bauhs was exposed to college football at a very early age, but it wasn’t until age 13 or 14 when the passion for the game really sunk in. He was raised a Wisconsin Badger fan, and still rabidly follows them today.
But rather than planning every Saturday around his favorite team, Bauhs has decided to live out his passion by attempting to visit all 130 FBS college football stadiums in the country. It’s a daunting task, but one that had a genesis rooted in a game Ohio State played against Wisconsin in 1992. That year, quarterback Kirk Herbstreit and the Buckeyes traveled to Madison and fell to his Badgers.
The pageantry, emotion and pallet of colors had him hooked. And that’s where we stand today, almost thirty years later.
Bauhs is living out a dream many of us have, and that’s blazing this great country of ours, experiencing everything that other college football programs and locales offer. And he’s loving it. To date, he’s been to 77 stadiums, and 291 games. He has his own website where he chronicles all the football shenanigans and let’s you live vicariously through him living out his passion.
He’s a elementary school teacher in the Chicagoland area by day, but college football superhero by weekend according to his website. He is a Midwesterner through and through and is proud of what the Big Ten means to college football.
We caught up with Bauhs as he made a stop in Columbus for the Miami (OH) game on September 21. We wanted to get his thoughts on how a trip to Ohio Stadium compared with other places he’s been, and just to get a little more information on what his journey has entailed so far.
Next … The full interview with College Football Tour’s Andrew Bauhs
Full interview with Andrew Bauhs of College Football Tour
BW: What do you try to focus on when you visit each stadium location? Do you have a plan going in?
AB: I like to focus on the traditions that make each stadium and game day special. I try to pick out three main traditions to kind of get the fan experience of what it’s like to be there.
BW: What’s the furthest you’ve traveled to watch a game?
AB: Honolulu, Hawaii for the Hawaii vs. Arizona opener this year.
BW: Besides Wisconsin, what stadium have you been to the most?
AB: Northwestern’s Ryan Field. I’ve been there 43 times living in the Chicago area. Northwestern would be my second favorite team behind Wisconsin just from being around it.
BW: What stadium have you not been to that would be the one your most looking forward to?
AB: Army, I guess because it’s one of those places that people keep talking about. You have to go there to see the Cadets marching and to see West Point and the Hudson. You gotta respect that.
BW: What’s your favorite tradition you’ve got to experience in your travels?
AB: By far Midnight Yell practice at Texas A&M. It’s thousands and thousands of fans at the field, and seeing them yell cheers that have been a part of history is pretty amazing.
BW: What’s the most beautiful setting you’ve been to?
AB: The Rose Bowl without a doubt. The mountains and the setting are great, though surprisingly Cal at Berkley is an underrated venue. You have to check out Tightwad Hill there. Fans can watch the game on a hill overlooking the stadium for free. The views are amazing.
BW: Let’s double down on that, give me some more of your favorite stadium and game day experiences besides Wisconsin.
AB: The Rose Bowl as I mentioned, and outside of Wisconsin, I’d say Texas A&M, and LSU.
BW: Smallest stadium you’ve been to?
AB: Yager Stadium I believe in Oxford, Ohio. Miami (OH) plays there and it seats like only about 25,000 I think.
BW: Largest?
AB: The Big House in Ann Arbor
BW: Loudest?
AB: LSU. You hear the stories, and it’s true.
BW: What’s a tradition you didn’t know much about that you saw and thought was pretty cool?
AB: At Florida, they have the two-bits cheer. It didn’t know about that going in and it was cool to see.
Next … Bauhs’ impression of Ohio State
What about Ohio State?
BW: Okay, let’s focus on your time at Ohio State. This is your second time going to Columbus right? What made you want to return to Columbus?
AB: It’s close enough for one, but I really am proud that Ohio State is a part of the Big Ten. Ohio State really is one of the best, and I love the Skull Session and wanted to experience that and the whole game day again as well.
BW: What three traditions did you take in at Ohio State, or was it more than that.
AB: Well, I started by just spending a lot of time walking around the stadium and soaking it all in, but I love to stroll through Buckeye Grove. In fact, it’s one of my favorite traditions in college football, and favorite at Ohio State. Other teams do something similar, but there’s really nothing that compares to it. I like to look at all the plaques of the trees planted, and of course I made a special point to spend some time at Hopalong Cassady’s tree (news of Cassady passing occurred the week leading up to the game). It’s just such a cool thing.
Also, of course I went to another Skull Session. It’s such a great band at Ohio State and I wanted to go again because of it. As a Wisconsin fan, I can appreciate the passion Ohio State fans have for the band, because the Fifth Quarter at Wisconsin is a part of the tradition there. The band plays after the game and it really became a part of the culture because something had to keep fans there back when Wisconsin just wasn’t that great at football.
Lastly, I went over to the 50-yard line to soak in Script Ohio. Of course you have to soak that in if you’re going to an Ohio State game.
BW: What sticks out about Ohio State fans?
AB: I really appreciate the fan devotion. It just makes the stadium that much more intimidating and impactful I guess. Not many places have as much devotion as what OSU fans show.
BW: Where does Ohio Stadium rank in your listing of all-time best experiences.
AB: Well, I say this to leave room for other stadiums that I still haven’t visited, but I’d put it in a top 15 experience if not better.
*** END of Interview
Since we spoke with Bauhs, he has chronicled his experience at Ohio State. You can get his full rundown and experience and feel free to follow his continued journey as he makes more progress towards what many of us would love to do ourselves.
He was extremely gracious and fond of Ohio State, though mentioned perhaps there’s even a little jealousy there when it comes to wanting to be as successful as Ohio State. But of course, we also know what the Wisconsin program has become as well.
We wouldn’t be surprised if he makes another return trip, and yes — he agrees that a trip to Madison is well worth the price of admission as well.
He will forever be a friend of Buckeyes Wire, and we encourage you to stop in often and see how things are going at CollegeFootballTour.com
