Mizzou Parent's Weekend

Daughter #2 chose University of Missouri at Columbia as her university of choice because it's rated #1 in the nation for her major: journalism. She was not alone. The freshman class has experienced a double-digit growth rate with a record class of 5,812 students.

So on my way to Colorado, and eventually to Prague, I stopped in Columbia, Missouri for parent's weekend to celebrate her choice. And how do American families celebrate their university? Football!

On the way to the game, we walked by the new $50 million student recreation center, voted #1 in the nation by Sports Illustrated. That must have been an incredibly tough label to earn because student recreation centers have been a collegiate focus of investment nationwide. Mizzou students voted to increase their fees to pay for it.

One of the swimming pools -
students can swim inside to one of the other ones.

Beach volleyball, 1,500 miles from a beach!

Some of the tennis courts
There is much more to see inside the facility
But on to the game!

People put their tiger tails on their backside,
hanging out their car trunks,
from their car antennas, everywhere!

One year, Nebraska students changed the "M" to an "N."
Mizzou staff found it and changed it back before the game.
Those sneaky Cornhuskers!

Mizzou Golden Girls

The football team takes the field!

Every time the defense sacks a quarterback
or sets back the other team
they play a REALLY LOUD man-eating Tiger roar
throughout the stadium.

Truman, the Mizzou mascot (named after Harry Truman,
the American President born in Missouri) and the ROTC boys
(students studying to be military officers) do a pushup
for every single point the football team scores.
So by the end of the 42-21 game against Buffalo,
they've done a huge cumulative total of push-ups. Yea team!

Yes, that spells TIGERS!