Fun Fact: Pep Clubs

College football fandom is a process that, for alums, proceeds in a hierarchy. For example, most of us start out in our young years as casual fan, following the team on tv and attending the occasional live game. Those of us who are lucky enough to attend our institution of choice will probabbly join the student pep club and cheer from the student section every home game. You know you're a real adult when you graduate to the grown-up, expensive club that provides you the privilege of buying season tickets and other perks. It's not a linear progression for everybody, but these clubs are now integral components of any successful program, providing crowd noise, excitement, and bucks.

It's practically impossible to imagine college ball without these organizations. Yet the first pep club wasn't formed until 1930. Any astute observer will notice that's the start of the Great Depression. Pep of any sort was difficult to come by. So to lift the spirits of the ailing community, an entriprising personality close to the Georgia Tech program founded the Yellow Jacket club. Of course it promoted school spirit, but more importantly, it helped relieve the tedium of economic woes.

Boo Great Depression, but yay football for providing an escape, and yay Georgia Tech for capitalizing on that.