For the first couple weeks of school, I’ve been going to my classes but haven’t really accepted the start of school as a reality yet.

Having homework, little time for my three meals a day, and already being sleep deprived are all signs that, yes, classes have officially begun.

However, with the fall semester comes something so glorious, so violent, so fun and so fanatical, that I can start finally accepting the start of school this weekend.

That is the start of football season.

Many college football teams kicked off their seasons last night playing in games across the nation, including Eastern and Illinois State.

But Saturday is the real kick off.

Saturday, the big teams start to play.

Saturday morning I’ll be heading to South Bend, Ind. to watch the season-opening game for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

My family and I are die-hard Notre Dame fans, stemming from my grandpa, who attended the University of Notre Dame in the 1940s.

For as long as I can remember, there has been at least one steady thing in my family – we have Notre Dame blood.

I’ve only been to one Notre Dame football game, but that was when I was still in grade school, I believe.

It may have been a long time ago, but I remember it fondly as one of the best memories I’ve ever had.

Notre Dame was playing Kansas. Jarious Jackson was Notre Dame’s quarterback. Bob Davie was Notre Dame’s head coach. We sat high up the corner of one of the end zones. Notre Dame won. My whole family was there – dad, mom, brother, sister.

The stadium hadn’t been updated yet, so the seating was tight and slightly uncomfortable for an antsy youngster. But we won, so I went home happy.

We walked around the whole campus. We saw the players get off the bus and walk up into the stadium before the game. We cheered them into the stadium. We went into Notre Dame’s giant library and hung out for a while.

It was great fun and a memory I’ll remember and cherish for my whole life.

It’s hard to get tickets for Notre Dame games, especially because they’re so expensive on online ticket-selling websites. Plus, the only reason we had tickets to go to that game years ago was because my grandpa was still contributing money to the university as an alumnus.

Now I’m even more excited to go again with my whole family Saturday.

Certainly as a youngster I didn’t understand the whole Notre Dame thing, and what the school is all about.

But I have heard tons of my grandpa’s stories, read a lot of books on the university and its football team, and am now fully prepared to have another great experience.

I’m sure when I return to Charleston, I’ll have more memories to write a column about.

But besides the game Saturday, I am happy that I can accept the start of school as long as it comes with a side of football.

Alex McNamee is a junior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].