Judging by the fact that you signed up to come to a Big Ten school, odds are at some point in your freshman year — or in four years at the University of Wisconsin — you’re going to end up cheering on your fellow Badgers at a football game. Below are some key tips for not looking like a total rookie at your first football game.

The Basics

Length: Football consists of four quarters, and there is a halftime break after the second quarter. Each quarter is 15 minutes long.

Place: If you go to a football game, you’re going to want to head over to Camp Randall. The student section is located on the north side of the stadium.

Players

If you want to sound like you know what you’re talking about, here is what you need to know.

Quarterback: Alex Hornibrook

Coach: Paul Chryst, but you can just call him Coach Chryst.

Out of material?: Talk about a Watt brother — you have three to choose from: JJ, Derek and TJ may have all graduated, but they will always be Wisconsin royalty. Anyone and everyone is always willing to talk about them.

Traditions

Jump Around: Before the fourth quarter begins, the entire student section — and most of Camp Randall — participates in the honored Wisconsin tradition. Set to the wonderful track of “Jump Around” by House of Pain, all the students “jump up, jump up and get down,”with hands in the air for roughly two minutes.

If you attend any game at Camp Randall, you must participate during this crucial moment. If you do not “Jump Around” with the rest of us, you might as well have gone to Minnesota.

The Don’ts

• Talk about The University of Minnesota, unless you’re saying how much they suck. The hallowed halls of Camp Randall should not be besmirched by the likes of those dirty Gophers.
• Spend all of your time on your cellphone. This is a crucial moment in life  — probably a moment that you will talk about forever — and it won’t be nearly half as gratifying if you’re only looking at a six-inch screen.
• Drive. Make sure to walk to Camp Randall because parking on game days is super chaotic. Plus, walking under the Camp Randall Arch is one of the coolest feelings in the world.

• Stress about dressing crazy. Most students are typically wearing their best overalls and face paint. Plus, there is no such thing as too much Badger pride.
• Be afraid to talk to other people in your section. The Badger community is super friendly, and you never know who you might meet.
• Come to the game super late. Anything can happen the minute the football in launched into the air. You never know when you’re going to witness the next greatest moment in Wisconsin football history.
• Worry. Even if you make a mistake, no one will remember it. Seriously, there’s about 16,000 people in the student section, and at the end of the day, we’re all there to have fun.

On Wisconsin!