The first installment of 2009 Cougar Football Saturdays kicked off with the Cougars falling to the Stanford Cardinal, 39-13, in front of 22,386 people at Martin Stadium.

However, the festivities got underway several hours before the opening kickoff. The Cougar faithful woke up early to tailgate in the South Beasley parking lot next to their motor homes. The lot has already sold out for the entire 2009 football season. Every motor home in the lot donned crimson and gray. The Crimson Girls, the cheerleading squad and Butch T. Cougar walked through the lot greeting fellow Cougars.

Cheryl Kostick, who attended WSU from 1978 to 1980, said she has been coming to games since she was 5 or 6 years old. Her father attended school in Pullman when WSU was still Washington State College.

“I love everybody getting together, the friendliness and of course, the games,” she said. Three and a half hours before every home game, Hollingbery Fieldhouse opens up to host a food fair where fans can come eat food from local restaurants. Fans are also greeted with a performance from members of the Cougar Marching Band. Cougar fan Don Wilson comes down from Cranbrook, British Columbia, for every home football game, including the annual game in Seattle. Wilson watched his first Cougar football game in 2006 and was hooked instantly. He became a season ticket holder in 2007. “My favorite part is all the people,” Wilson said. “Everything about this is exciting.” For younger Cougars, Mooberry Track is filled with inflatable toys to play on before the game starts. Mark Roeber, a 1990 WSU graduate, was kicking field goals with his son, Sam, a fourth-grader from Moses Lake.

“We go to the Fieldhouse and watch the pregame warm-ups,” Roeber said. “It’s all about the game experience.” Roeber said he always grabs some Cougar Gold when he comes back to Pullman. “I went to school with (Paul) Wullff and met him a few times, so I’m excited to see how he does in year two,” he said.

Sam wasn’t born yet when he experienced his first Cougar football game, Mark Roeber said. He brought his wife to a game when she was pregnant. “It’s just so much fun to watch,” Sam said. “When I show up, they have a winning record.”