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It was Mansfield and college football that brought a group of freshmen together during their first days on campus. More than a decade later, Mansfield and college football continue to keep these Mounties together thanks to a unique, annual tradition.

With their own season finished, a group of Mansfield sprint football student-athletes decided to take a road trip to one of college football’s hallowed grounds to watch Notre Dame host Northwestern in the fall of 2014. In the shadow of Touchdown Jesus, the group of Mounties unknowingly kicked-off a tradition that would take them around the country together.

“We could never fully enjoy watching college football since we were in-season and playing,” explains Tim Carr, former Mansfield defensive lineman. “Since we were done playing, we decided to go to a big college football game as a group.”

The following year, the group of now alumni planned another trip, this time heading south to Morgantown to watch West Virginia host Texas. In year three at Rutgers, “The Tour” took on its own identity as Dylan Loucks—a graduate of the Mansfield graphic design program—created a logo and ordered T-shirts. The next year, the group proudly displayed its custom Tour flag at Rocky Top in Tennessee.

Since then, The Tour has made stops at Michigan, Clemson, South Carolina, NC State, Alabama, and Pitt. The group immerses itself in the culture and uniqueness of each campus, connects with as many people as possible, and trades its custom gear with the fans.

“It’s what college football is all about,” says Carr. “We work really hard to keep it going.”

Prior to each year’s trip, members of the group offer suggestions of new locations, which then move to an official ballot that the group votes on to decide their next destination. After each trip, one person is selected to record the weekend’s events in a memory book.

"We feel lucky we get to do this every year."

The Tour members now live across five states (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, and Missouri), making the annual gathering even more special. At each game, the group will invite fellow Mounties living in the area to join their tailgate.

“Mansfield has so many ways of bringing people together,” says Carr. “We had such a good experience at Mansfield, we wanted to keep that connection alive.”