When thinking of the word “home," most people envision cozy living rooms, delicious meals and loving family members. However, this is not the case for diehard Ohio University Bobcat fans, as home to them is equivalent to Peden Stadium, Bird Ice Arena and the Convocation Center.
OU athletics has several traditions that contribute to an electric gameday experience and motivate fans to come back. From the famous Marching 110 performances to memorable Homecoming weekends to appearances by Rufus the Bobcat, each game is curated for those dedicated to the OU lifestyle.
Co-ed Division I sports at OU includes basketball, cross country and golf. Additionally, the university has men’s football and baseball teams and women’s volleyball, field hockey, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, and track and field teams. Fans also have the option to participate in recreational activities or utilize other campus spaces such as the Aquatic Center, Charles J. Ping Recreation Center and the golf course.
There are many ways locals and alumni can showcase their Bobcat pride, and most have a history or special connection to OU. Kim Barlag, a 1992 graduate, has been a football season ticket holder for 13 years and said showing school spirit has always been easy.
“I have always been very passionate about the schools I attended and I just went all in being a Bobcat,” Barlag said.
Barlag said she lost connection with the university after graduation but returned after she was offered the role of director of communications and marketing at the Patton College of Education. Although she no longer works for the university, the job helped pay for her master’s degree and reintroduced her to the place she once called home.
“We are the ones out there in the rain or out there in the snow, we are really dedicated fans and I am kind of proud of that,” Barlag said.
Although most alumni were welcomed with open arms into OU during their freshman year, others were born into it. Bob Clark, a 1985 graduate, was born in Athens and raised by OU grads. Clark said he, his grandmother, parents and son share a positive history with OU sports.
“I bled green at a very, very young age,” Clark said.
Clark said he recalls attending basketball games during the 1969 and 1970 seasons after The Convo’s grand opening and is grateful for his childhood in Athens.
“Being in Southeast Ohio, a lot of times these towns do not have a whole lot to do, but in Athens, we had the university,” Clark said. “As grade school kids and middle school kids and high school kids we would take over Grover (Center) in the summer (and) play basketball … so I feel very fortunate that we were able to take advantage of that.”
Clark is a current season ticket holder for football and basketball and he said he enjoys traveling to watch the games with his wife and friends.
Alumni and students are not the only people who bleed green and white, as each team encourages sports lovers from Athens and neighboring counties to participate in the exhilarating gameday atmosphere. Cheryl Rioch, a local from Albany, is a regular at Bird Arena and a longtime fan of OU’s club hockey team.
“My husband asked me out on a date and that was 27 years ago and I had never seen hockey … we came here for a hockey game and ever since then I have been a hockey fan,” Rioch said.
Rioch is a member of the Blueline Booster Club, a nonprofit organization that fundraises and volunteers for the hockey team. The club provides food for away games and sponsors events to help the team due to its “little financial assistance” from the university.
Blueline Boosters follow a strict code of conduct and each member is expected to be respectful towards all players and “recognize good effort, teamwork, and sportsmanship” despite the scoreboard. Greg Forquer, Blueline secretary and a 1985 OU graduate, said although raising money is vital, fostering connections with the players is a priority.
“It is just fun to come … watch them develop,” Forquer said. “We do not recruit at OU, we reload.”
For those interested in joining the club, ticket prices range from $60 to $170, depending on the amount of people wanting to register.
Locals, students and alumni are not just Bobcat fans, but a strong and devoted unit. Barlag said she is forever grateful for the friends and memories OU continues to cultivate.
“Bobcat fans, whether you know each other or not, we treat each other like family,” Barlag said. “Everybody smiles when you see a fellow Bobcat fan wearing Bobcat attire.”
