KALAMAZOO, Mich. — “Row The Boat, Row The Boat.”
Hundreds of Western Michigan students chanting their three favorite words loud and proud Thursday when ESPN’s College GameDay bus rolled into campus.
“This is legit!” screamed junior Trevor Clausen, surrounded by crowds of people. “This is lit. I am so happy right now. Western, ‘Row The Boat’ baby.”
The bus arrived just after 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon and was greeted with cheers, chants and the marching band. Everyone, including teachers and local residents, donned brown and yellow Western apparel. Several students came with streamers and signs, one of them saying Bring on 'Bama.
“It’s unbelievable,” said sophomore Von Heath. “It still hasn’t kicked in yet that they’re coming to the MAC school. It’s unreal. It’s the best thing ever.
Students all over campus expressed the same sentiment. Saturday morning, ESPN’s College GameDay will preview the 10-0 Broncos' match-up vs. the Buffalo Bulls. Students said the team’s success all stems from one man, head coach P.J. Fleck.
“P.J. Fleck’s a dog,” said Clausen, holding a sign that read Row the Flecking Boat. “He’s like the greatest thing to happen to WMU football in a while. You can say, this wouldn’t happen without him.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. It’ll be cold and rainy, but students said they don’t care. They plan to pack out Waldo stadium and show ESPN a good time.
“I feel like Kalamazoo is not a well-known city,” said junior Brittney Wojcik. “The fact that they’re coming here, and we’re just in the MAC conference, I feel like that’s incredible.”
