Though deeply rooted as Piedmont Lions, there are many students and faculty members that represent the black and red of a University of Georgia Bulldog.
Last week, UGA’s talented football team made an incredible journey through the College Football Playoff and competed for a National Championship. Their journey brought out every Dawg fan imaginable, including certified UGA super-fan Dr. Dale Van Cantfort.
Dr. Van Cantfort, or “DVC,” as he is affectionately called by his students, is the chair of the Mass Communications department at Piedmont College. His love for Georgia Bulldogs athletics goes back several decades.
“Considering that I’ve had season tickets to football games since the 70s and have been to a number of basketball and baseball games I would say I’m a pretty big fan,” he said.
DVC has never been shy about showing his support for the Dawgs, even going as far as wearing a big UGA sweater during class one day. His fandom doesn’t stop there though; DVC also attended UGA’s College Football Playoff game at the Rose Bowl in California.
For those who are unaware, the College Football Playoff consists of four of the best teams during the season who play each other in a tournament-style format.
The first game is the Sugar Bowl, which is held in New Orleans. Then comes the Rose Bowl, which takes place in Pasadena, California. The winners of those two games move on and play for the National Championship, which was held in Atlanta this year. DVC went all the way across the country to watch the Dawgs play in Pasadena. His experience was like nothing that he had seen before.
“If you are a sports fan, one of the things that needs to be on your bucket list is attending one Rose Bowl game,” DVC said. “From the festivities before the game, to the game itself, the atmosphere is amazing, especially in that historic venue at Pasadena. It was a fantastic experience that was made better with my team winning in overtime.”
UGA fought in a tightly-contested game but eventually won against Oklahoma 54-48. The Dawgs then moved onto the National Championship game.
Ultimately, DVC decided not to go to the championship game, even though it took place so close to home this year.
“The tickets were just a little too expensive for me,” DVC said. “And to be honest, after going to the Rose Bowl, there is nothing else that would be able to top that experience for me.”
UGA lost to a touchdown by Alabama, which broke the hearts of many UGA fans across the country, including DVC. However, he’s proud of his team and firmly believes in the Dawgs and their abilities.
“I still believe that we are the best team in college football,” he said. “We just didn’t make the plays we needed down the stretch, but I am very proud of how our season went.”
