99 for 99 - #80: UB True Blue Created

99 for 99 takes a look at the 99 biggest moments in UB Football history in anticipation of the 99^th Season of UB Football which begins on September 1^st, 2012. These moments are not in any order, however the top 10 moments have been saved for last.

October 3, 2007 - UB True Blue is Created

A UB student starting his (true) senior year in the Fall of 2007, would have only seen 5 UB victories in his college career. The lack of success would understandably translate into apathy, and without a strong student section, there would be no real motivation to spend a Saturday afternoon inside UB Stadium. Fortunately, two dedicated senior students, Jeseph Meyers and Paul Hutchings, decided that a coordinated effort to enhance the student experience could improve the UB student section. The result was the creation of UB True Blue. True Blue sold shirts to enhance the "Sea of Blue", organized tailgates, road trips, and brainstormed new traditions to raise excitement for UB Athletics.

At the end of True Blue's first year, on March 24^th, 2008, UB True Blue became an official UB Student Association Club. The following fall, UB made an improbable run to the MAC Championship, with the loudest and most active student section in the MAC.

True Blue has been embraced by the Athletics Department, and the partnership has created a better game day experience for everyone. The growing tailgating scene is now called "True Blue Avenue". The "True Blue Gauntlet" started in 2007 is a mainstay of UB Tailgates (now known as the "Walk to Victory"). True Blue also created the True Blue Flag Tradition and performs the "I Believe" chant after Basketball victories.

Five years later, True Blue is still improving student support for UB Athletics and helping UB develop a reputation around the MAC as the best fans in the conference. And conference foes are taking notice. True Blue most recently traveled to an important basketball game at Akron, and made their presence felt:

Per Akron Fans on zipsnation.org:

3,800 of the best fans I've EVER seen in that place. I've been going to games in parts of three decades and that was the loudest and most passionate crowd i've seen.

I noticed that too. I could be wrong, but I attributed it to the strong student section Buffalo brought to the game. True Blue (right?) really forced the Rowdies to be on top of their game - all game - and the rest of the arena then seemed to echo the Rowdies intensity.