As huge fans of college football, our holiday season, starts on Labor Day weekend. For me, an Ohio native, I was born and raised Ohio State University fan. My husband, Nathan, is a fan and graduate of the University of Miami. When we first started dating, Miami fans did not like Ohio State because of the Championship game of 2002. So we figured if our relationship could survive a football season we were good. It took a little longer to win over the family.

When Nathan and I first started dating, Miami did not like Ohio State—particularly because of the 2002 Championship game. If our relationship could withstand that football rivalry, we figured we could handle anything. And, though it took a bit longer to win over the family, our shared love of college football has been one of the great aspects of our relationship.

We also have family in South Bend, and our fall visits often revolve around catching a Notre Dame game. While we cheer for the Fighting Irish, we also enjoy adding a bit of playful rivalry to our game-day experiences.

My cousin, Michele, and her husband, Chris, at a Notre Dame game. We always enjoy the football season with them.

Our fall travels often include finding exciting games to attend. Last year, while in San Francisco, we couldn’t pass up the chance to see Stanford take on Oregon.

We have had University of Miami season tickets for the last 13 years. The first games I went to, I gave Nathan a hard time feeling like it was a college football game. I mean, I could wear shorts to the games the whole season (Ohio girl, remember). But I have taken to the culture. Especially because they play in the Miami Dolphins stadium. We have club level seats, so we are under cover, have an air conditioned food area, and we have access to two full bars and a wine bar. (spoiled).

As the season unfolds, we continue to celebrate and enjoy the rich traditions of college football, whether we’re cheering from the stands or exploring new stadiums across the country.