Leading the charge is the Herd, which is the student section club in charge of taking The Maverick’s shenanigans to the next level.
With a wall of students easily within shouting distance behind the opposing team’s bench, the rowdy atmosphere is unmatched. Arguably one of the most fundamental college experiences is sitting in the student section during a Saturday football game.
The Herd is the biggest club on campus, because just participating in the student section is enough to be part of it. The Herd is responsible for leading in-game chants, choosing dress themes for the student section and general student shenanigans to throw off the other team.
“The goal of the Herd is to make it fun for students and build excitement. But another goal is to give your team home field advantage. Having played football here my freshman year, I know the impact an involved crowd can have on the game,” Student Leader of the Herd Jason Soderlin said.
Soderlin took over as the Herd leader last year after noticing that he and his roommate were the loudest in the stands during a football game. Now, Soderlin coordinates game themes and tries to get as much student engagement as possible for Colorado Mesa University (CMU) Athletics.
“Former Athletic Director Austin Kaiser and his brother actually started the student section at Grand Canyon University, which is one of the best in the nation. I’ve read their blogs and one of the things they mentioned was how people don’t want to go to 100 games every year, but if you ask them to go to maybe 10, then you’ll get more turnout,” Soderlin said.
In turn, Soderlin strategizes specific games for The Herd to show up to and set a theme.
Football only has five home games which means the Herd will be at each one. The home opening theme was “Beach Day,” and the rest of the themes go as follows: Pinkout on Sept. 23, Mavroon on Oct. 7, Blackout on Oct. 21, and Whiteout on Nov. 4.
During basketball season, the Herd shows up to a handful of big basketball games. Seasoned Maverick fans are familiar with the Blizzard in the Brownson, which of course The Herd makes an appearance at. This year, however, The Herd will make a presence in other games as well, usually going with a color theme. Soderlin also expressed interest in getting the Herd at hockey games later this year as well.
“Jason is bringing the Herd back to life. He’s just so passionate and involved in it and he really just wants to make it amazing for the students. It’s really exciting to see where it’s gonna go in the future. I’m like, pumped. So come to Herd events,” Planning and Advisory Council Head Gigi Tolman said.
Because Soderlin is also a member of CMU’s Track & Field Team, he cannot show up to a lot of winter and spring games. However, he still plans to coordinate the Herd via their Instagram.
Soderlin expressed that Mavericks who like to get a little rowdy at sporting events should consider officially joining The Herd, or at the very least come ready to go crazy with The Herd at games.
“I want the students who come here to be a fan of the school that they’re at, as opposed ‘my parents, like, oh, there’s this bigger school that I’m a fan of, I want it to like kind of shift. Yeah, and make a better culture around that.” Soderlin said.
Going to Herd events is a great way for students to feel more connected to other Mavericks and the school itself. Plus, who doesn’t love to scream their head off during a game?
