The arrival of the autumn chill coincides with a number of exciting fall rituals. From picking pumpkins and eating donuts at the local cider mill to preparing one’s Halloween costume and planning trips to haunted houses, fall is an exciting time of year.

For many, however, these pale in comparison to one thing: Spartan football. For decades, Spartans of all shapes, sizes and ages have not been able to control their heartbeat at the sound of Spartan Stadium. That’s true whether they are in the stands, a mile away on a living room couch, or even across international boundaries. Many argue that this is solely because of a love of football and Spartan success. I beg to differ.

Football is much more than a game for so many Spartans, and as a student body we should remember that. For me, MSU football goes beyond throwing around the pigskin. It is the continued creation of a community that can be found around the world.

Sure, our recent successes haven’t hurt the Spartan community and our feelings regarding football. I am sure more than one high school student saw the 2014 Rose Bowl and thought, “I should check out MSU!”

However, I believe our community finds unity in something other than success or failure — we find it in each other. When I recount the strongest memories of my four years at MSU, the first image that comes to mind is of my first game day.

Many in the Spartan community can think of their first football game. Some might have watched it on a loved one’s lap as a toddler. For others, it came in the form of Thanksgiving, surrounded by family and perhaps even playing a game of their own.

For me, however, my first memory of Spartan football comes from the good ol’ fourth floor of North Case. I remember waking up to the band playing the fight song that has been etched in the hearts of many. I recall peering through my window and seeing the beautiful sight of the Spartan community at work. For the first time, the fact that I had decided to make a Big Ten university my home hit me. I was not simply the member of a student body of a few thousand. Instead, I was the part of a truly loving community, made up of East Lansing residents, alumni from 50 years ago, newborn babies and many others.

As crowds covered in green and white made their way to Spartan Stadium that day, I watched in awe, realizing that I had found a new family that was just a little larger than most.

From the booming music at the ASMSU Tailgate to the smell of wonderful homemade goodies wafting across campus, every member of this family descended upon East Lansing in a manner that was difficult to define.

In a way, these individuals were making a pilgrimage to the Red Cedar River, paying their respects to the community that shaped them. In a way, these individuals were saluting a flag that represented values and morals that help them lead their lives. In a way, they were simply attending another family function, except this time it was acceptable to avoid annoying cousins in maize and blue. In a way, they were reminding every Spartan, in every corner of the world, that the Spartan way of life is going strong.

As I round out my last semester here at MSU, I can lovingly admit that I am not the biggest fan of football.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the game and love to watch my Spartans win. My admission doesn’t negate the fact that every fiber of my body lives for game days, nor that they will be something I sorely miss. Few of those who I encounter outside the university will understand how a young man from the suburbs found such a deep love for football relatively late in life.

For many, attending a university would not inspire this love. They wouldn’t understand that for a Spartan, football is more than a sport. On one hand, this is something I want to scream from the top of Beaumont Tower, telling the world to look around and see the community that arises from a shared love of football. On the other hand, I almost want to keep this my little secret of truly falling in love in college.

Daniel Becker is a comparative cultures and politics, and international relations senior. Reach him at becker76@msu.edu.