There is a grand sense of serenity in being alone in LSU’s Death Valley.

Under the big, yellow “Welcome to Death Valley” sign, high-definition screens

proclaim it as the “cathedral of college football.” While fans will tell you it is a religious

experience to be in the stadium on a Saturday night, there is no comparison to being in the

silent fishbowl filled with ghosts of football legends.

The goal posts topped with ribbons that wave at passing clouds stand guard at each

end of the field. A dragonfly weaves in and out of the south end zone, mimicking plays from

games past.

Death Valley is a vortex. Time slows. You can feel the pulse of the stadium gently

beating around you. If you listen close enough you can hear it matching the beat of the

pregame song the Golden Band from Tigerland plays as it marches down Victory Hill.

It is impossible to walk into Death Valley without feeling the remnants of glorious

triumphs and heartbreaking defeats. The walls permeate with the screams of fans

encouraging their beloved Tigers.

As one of college football’s most feared stadiums, the irony of the welcoming

atmosphere is not to be overlooked. While the stadium opens it arms to the purple and gold

nation, it is a menacing dragon to anyone who dares enter wearing the opponent’s colors.

For those who grew up on Tiger football, there is no greater love affair to

experience. There is a bond that forms the moment that you step foot in Death Valley, and it

is nearly impossible to break.

Lifelong fans can tell you there is no greater place on Earth than Death Valley on

Saturday night. No matter what age you are, there is a direct correlation between the

atmosphere in the stadium and the strength of the bond.

Despite the quiet that surrounds you in the empty stadium, stories resonate along

every passageway and row of golden bleachers. Remnants of first loves, family squabbles

and new friendships litter section after section of seats oozing with tradition.

Closing your eyes to imagine the sun setting over the edge of the towering monster

that is Death Valley, there is a moment of unadulterated joy. It is in that moment that you

fall in love with the legendary stadium. It irrevocably cements itself into the deepest part of

your soul and fills you with the security of having somewhere to call home.