There was still the Capital One FanFest activities, the Capital One Cup, and the game itself.

I’ve been going to sporting events since I was a little kid, and the experience has changed greatly over the years.

In the ‘80s, when I first began attending Cincinnati Reds games with my parents, the game was the main – and sometimes only – attraction.  Which was great, but it made the hour-plus drive from the suburbs north of Dayton, Ohio to Cincinnati and back a little tedious if the game was a dud.

Back then I could usually talk my dad into letting me throw on the speed pitch machine.  I would attempt to show all the bystanders that I was the next Nolan Ryan by throwing heat and then knowing that on my third pitch I could dial it up an extra 2 mph and win a plastic batting helmet.  That was the extent of extra activities afforded to fans back then.

Now, in addition to innovations in game presentation, state of the art venues and massive amounts of interactive online content, there are many options for fun outside the game itself when attending an event.

Capital One’s FanFest at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando encapsulated what makes sports fun in the first place.

Several interactive athletic games were set up, representing college sports included in the Capital One Cup, a competition between universities that combines sports on the men’s and women’s sides with academic achievement to crown an annual champion athletic department.  The winning school receives a huge scholarship prize from Capital One and the pride of being the most complete school athletically in the nation.

Check out the Capital One Cup standings and see how your favorite program stacks up in all sports on both the men’s and women’s sides.

Among the games available for fans to play were the football toss, football obstacle course, soccer, lacrosse, speed pitch (my old favorite!) and home run derby (the most popular attraction).

Thousands of fans played the FanFest games before the Capital One Bowl started, and it added a great warm-up to the on-field action.

Capital One Cup Advisor Doug Flutie was also in attendance, and he addressed the crowd, signed autographs, and participated in some of the FanFest games himself.  He managed to drill a deep homer in the Wiffle ball home run derby game, despite a strong wind blowing in.

I spent a few minutes talking with Doug, and I can tell you that he thinks Andrew Luck is a sure thing (and that Matt Barkley will be a sure thing next year), Robert Griffin III – and other dual-threat quarterbacks – will succeed based on NFL teams slowly copying the Panthers’ success with Cam Newton, and he is very intense and immensely intelligent about the game of football.  He was a very gracious participant in the events as well as allowing me to pick his brain with nerdy football questions.

In addition to the fun and games provided by Capital One, there were alumni sections for fans to gather, eat and drink, and plenty of merchandise and vendor booths.

I know that crystal-clear televisions and the price of attending games are keeping some fans away from the action, but I must recommend getting out the park/stadium/arena every now and again.  The experience is so much more than just watching a game now.  The entire practice field area at the Citrus Bowl was filled with things to do, unlike those barren concourses at Riverfront Stadium that I was subjected to as a youngster.

As for the game between Nebraska and South Carolina, the Gamecocks came out with a noticeable chip on their shoulder, and after allowing a quick touchdown to open the game they blocked the extra point and returned it for a safety.  Nebraska never was able to put it together from that point, and South Carolina ended up rolling to a 30-13 victory behind a swarming defense that sacked Taylor Martinez 6 times.

So in 2012, go to a game and take in not just the game, but also the environment, the attractions and the ever-expanding fan experience.

Also, check out the Capital One Cup.  It is a great program that brings some attention to the non-revenue generating sports that don’t get as much coverage as they should.

I love football and men’s basketball as much as anyone, but I also take time to appreciate what all collegiate athletes do for their universities.

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Follow me on Twitter @keithmullett

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I watched a ton of Big Ten football and followed the story lines closely: first year coaches in Ann Arbor and Columbus; a transfer quarterback and a Heisman finalist in the backfield for an explosive Wisconsin team; the Spartans’ continued ascent to elite status as a football program; the introduction of a conference championship game; the welcoming of the Cornhuskers; and of course, in Happy Valley, the fall of one of the all-time great sports figures and a respected program having its very foundation shaken to the core.

Needless to say, I was exuberant when, on behalf of Midwest Sports Fans and as a guest of Capital One, I was given an opportunity to attend the Capital One Bowl in Orlando.

Nebraska, fresh off a 9-3 inaugural Big Ten season, faced South Carolina of the SEC, and the game was fantastic fun, even if the Big Ten’s bowl woes continued at the Citrus Bowl.

Just as fun was Capital One’s Mascot Challenge, an annual, season-long competition between the nation’s best mascots.  Even though my favorite team has never really had a mascot, I always enjoy seeing the costumed characters roaming the sidelines of games.

For the Mascot Challenge, Capital One selects 16 mascots, nominated by their schools, to compete in a weekly online fan voting competition.  After 12 weeks, the top 8 mascots advance to the postseason, with winners advancing and losers heading back to their schools with their tails between their legs (or more literally, in their duffel bags).  The winning mascot earns his school a $20,000 scholarship prize to go toward the mascot program from Capital One.

This year, the playoffs included Ohio State’s Brutus, The Duck from Oregon, Arizona’s Wilbur, Michigan State’s Sparty, Aubie from Auburn, Big Blue from Old Dominion, Nevada’s Wolfie Jr. and Georgia Tech’s Buzz.  After steamrolling their way to over 10 million votes apiece, Nevada’s Wolfie Jr. and Georgia Tech’s Buzz, the two top seeds after both going 12-0 in the regular season, squared off in the finals.

Monday morning, with special mascot guests Cocky (South Carolina) and Herbie Husker (Nebraska) Capital One announced this year’s winner: Wolfie Jr. of Nevada.

In seeing Wolfie in action at the Capital One Fan Zone, I can see why his appeal was unmatched this year (my personal favorite move of his is using his tail as an air guitar).  Nevada’s students, fans, and community members totaled over 15 million votes for this year’s competition, and in doing so helped secure the $20,000 scholarship for the university’s mascot program.  Congratulations are in order to Wolfie Jr. and the University of Nevada.

As for me, I really enjoyed the Mascot Challenge.  There is something undeniably laughable about mascots.  Seeing Wolfie mime and pump up the crowd was great.

College football’s atmosphere is unmatched in sports.  Mascots, bands and intense cheering sections all add to the festive environment, and the passion in the venue feels more pure than during professional contests.

If you want to catch up on this year’s competition and have a good laugh while you’re at it, head on over to the Capital One Mascot Challenge page and watch the videos for each contestant. The back stories are hilarious, and you get to see why these mascots were chosen above all others.

You can also check out the Mascot Challenge Facebook page, which will keep you updated as 2012’s contestants are chosen.  Wolfie will certainly be a tough act to follow, so mascots across the nation had better step up their training.

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Follow me on Twitter @keithmullett

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I’m a sucker for a good contest, especially one set up with a round-robin regular season and then playoffs at the end. (Hey college football! Pay attention! Your mascots get this idea; why can’t you!?)

I also love mascots. They are a part of the fabric of what makes college sports so special and compelling. You love your own mascot, you hate your rival’s, and there is always the chance for entertaining mascot-on-mascot violence when you watch a game between two teams who have them.

And now we can vote for which college mascot is the greatest.

16 members of the Capital One All-America Mascot Team are competing for the title of “Capital One Mascot of the Year”. Capital One has set up the contest on its website, where you can cast your ballots in 1-v-1 matchups between the mascots: vote here.

We here at Midwest Sports Fans are officially endorsing the two Big 10 representatives in the contest: Goldy Gopher of Minnesota and Brutus the Buckeye of Ohio State. (And if you’re not a Big 10 fan but want to represent the Midwest, you can always vote for Bearcat of Cincinnati.)

Here is how it works: each week the mascots will face one another in 1-v-1 matchups. Fans can go to the site and vote. The mascots that perform the best will then move on to the playoffs, which start on November 22nd. The winner will be announced on January 1, 2010 during the Capital One Bowl.

If you’re a Facebooker, here is the facebook fan page for the contest, a great way to stay up-to-date on who is winning and losing.

This post was written a few weeks ago, and included the wishful thinking of an Ohio State fan who wanted the Buckeyes to make it to the Rose Bowl. Follow the link to view the 2008 college football schedule, which will be filled in with all the matchups once they are set.  You can also view the updated BCS Bowl projections, with Ohio State likely going to the Fiesta Bowl.

We are down to the final two weeks of Big Ten football play and I am pretty sure every fan believes their team underachieved this year. This probably doesn’t include Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota but all three got destroyed by Ohio State (30 plus point losses). All three teams probably lost a lot of their fan base before this year. Speaking of losing a fan base, I look at Indiana and Purdue in last place and Notre Dame barely bowl eligible and Ball State is the only exciting team in Indiana.

Anyway, moving on to the top of the Big Ten we virtually have a three way tie for first. Michigan State sits atop at 6-1 and they have a bye this week to prepare to go to Happy Valley for the Penn State rivalry game November 22nd.

Penn State is playing at home against IU this weekend and it could get ugly since they are coming off the last second FG loss at Iowa. The sports media world took a collective sigh of relief because they were not ready to cover a national championship game where a Big Ten champ gets their asses handed to them for a third straight year. Plus one model should be the motto for the future of the Big Ten conference so they can have a championship game.

THE Ohio State University Buckeyes go to Illinois for a noon game (ESPN) and they have revenge on their minds after last year’s 28-21 loss in Columbus. The Illibuck Trophy is up for grabs in Champaign which will be playing in freezing temperatures, maybe some flurries, before they get the Wolverines at home in The Game November 22nd. Now on to Bowl projections:

ROSE BOWL (Jan 1st) – Ohio State v. USC - The Buckeyes have a not so outside shot at a rematch against USC with a Michigan State win at Penn State. If the Spartans do win, Ohio State couldn’t be happier going to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1997 when they beat Jake “The Snake” Plummer’s Arizona State team 20-17. If Penn State wins out look for the Buckeyes to be in the BCS at-large game (Fiesta or Sugar) against maybe Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Utah, or even Ball State.

CAPITAL ONE BOWL (Jan 1st) – Michigan State v. Georgia - The Spartan faithful would enjoy a trip to the Capital One Bowl with a win at Happy Valley. Javon Ringer would go pro after this game if can run wild on the recently porous Georgia defense. The last four #2 Big Ten v. #2 SEC match ups have gone to the Big Ten squad in this January 1st Bowl game. Michigan, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, and Iowa over Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, and LSU respectively.

OUTBACK BOWL (Jan 1st) – Penn State v. South Carolina – Joe Pa versus the Ol’ Ball Coach. Sounds ironic considering Spurrier is about 30 years younger right? Anyway, who knows who will show up in this 11am New Years Day bowl. Then again it is premature to discuss this potential game two weeks before the season is over and since I am probably underestimating Penn State who could get their starting QB back for the MSU game.

ALAMO BOWL (Dec 29th) – Iowa v. Missouri - Most would look at the QB match up here and would check the spread for Chase Daniel’s Tigers, bet their savings, and laugh all the way home. But Kirk Ferentz’s Hawkeyes always stay competitive (or win) in these Bowl games that they are supposed to be over matched. They almost beat Texas last year, came close to Florida before that, and beat LSU and Florida respectively the previous years before the close losses.

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL (Dec 29th) – Northwestern v. Miami (FL) - Two private schools, North versus South (or Thugs vs. Dorks whichever you prefer). Both programs are young and on the rise so if they meet here, the winner could build off the momentum and be pretty tough next year. The loser could as well.

INSIGHT BOWL (Dec 31st) – Illinois v. Nebraska - This is a coin flip between Minnesota and Illinois but I think Illinois will get the nod based off of fan base. It is unbelievable to me that the Fighting Zooks even have a chance to make a bowl after tanking it against WESTERN Michigan last weekend. Illinois has to beat Ohio State or Northwestern to even become eligible.

MOTOR CITY BOWL (Dec 27th) – Minnesota v. Ball State - The Gophers had a pretty good year but a lot of their Bowl eligibility has to do with a horrible non-conference schedule. Ball State is probably better than their non-conference and half of their Big Ten schedule. If Ball State runs the table while Utah and Texas Tech lose, then you would see Ball U in a BCS game and Central Michigan here against Minnesota.