FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 6, 2012
Contact: Al Botta
E: al@collegefootballquest.com

A QUEST AND AN OBSESSION: TWO FRIENDS TO JOIN “SEA OF RED” AT NEBRASKA
Trip Is Part of Their Mission to See a Game at Every College Football Stadium in the Country

Since 2008, Jarrett Singer and Al Botta have been on a rather unorthodox quest: to watch a college football game in every Division I-A football stadium in the country. They’ve started the website CollegeFootballQuest.com to keep fans updated on their progress, and this year their second stop will have them join the “Sea of Red”, at Memorial Stadium, home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Quest is in its 5th “official” year, and has already taken on many changes from what was initially dreamt up. “The Quest truly has become more of an overall cultural experience over the past few years, with us really finding ways to experience what the regulars experience week in and week out at the stadiums, in the towns, in the tailgates and on the campuses,” Al explains. “We don’t want to take for granted what goes on beyond the game itself because we have noticed it is truly different at every locale, and that absolutely makes the experience worthwhile, trip over trip, year over year.”

Since the Quest’s inception, they’ve had the opportunity to share the experience of the games with some amazing fans and in some awesome stadiums. “Last year, we rented an RV and drove to opening weekend at Penn State, versus eventual national champ, Alabama. We got to spend 3 days parked in a field with thousands of fans who drove from all over the country to see the game, and watched a game in one of the best environments in the country. We were among 108,000 fans packed into one of the loudest stadiums you can imagine,” Jarrett describes. “It was amazing an amazing experience and we will try to do more RV games in the future as it allows us an up close and personal experience of the school, venue, and its fans.

The local food doesn’t hurt, either. In each city, Singer and Botta seek out the eateries that students, fans and locals flock to. “We do a lot of research on the web and plenty of networking before we go on the trips to make sure we are in the right places. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t” Al explains. “A few people mentioned visiting the Haymarket for food and drink, so I suppose we’ll go there at some point!” They also try and find the local traditions, whether game related or not. This year they will get to witness the “Tunnel Walk”,, which is listed by many as one of the best team introductions in college sports. “Fortunately there is no question about what color shirts or jerseys we need to buy on this trip; it’s called the Sea of Red for a reason!!” Jarrett adds, “but we hear they are no longer releasing the red balloons after the first touchdown they score due to a helium shortage. That’s too bad.”

And their sports experiences are not always limited to college football. When they visited Yager Stadium in Oxford,Ohio, to watch Miami of Ohio play the Ohio Bobcats, they also found time to stop in at Goggin Ice Center to watch the Redhawks take on the Northern Michigan Wildcats. Singer cites that hockey game as one of his “most interesting experiences” during the Quest. “I had never before been to a hockey game at the college level, despite my love for the sport,” he says. “It was amazing!”

The Quest has given them an opportunity see a lot of things about America’s college towns they might have otherwise missed. They cite touring West Point, being in Austin, Texas, on game day, and tailgating with Hawkeye fans in Iowa City as just some of the highlights of their journey thus far.

Both Botta and Singer are members of the Football Writers Association of America.

###

If you’d like more information about College Football Quest, or to schedule an interview with Jarrett Singer or Al Botta, please email Al Botta directly at al@collegefootballquest.com.