When I was in high school, I could have cared less about college sports. I didn’t grow up supporting one team, and I spent most of my time rooting against one.

However, when I went to LSU, I was immersed in the culture — the football, the food, the game day experience, as well as the Greek life, classes and numerous extracurriculars. I had NO idea what I was missing.

When I came home for my first Thanksgiving break of college, I joined one of my best friends for dinner at a local pizza place with other girls from our graduating class.

It was a rude awakening for me about SEC rivalries.

AUBURN GIRL: “Hey, EP. How’s it going? Do you like LSU.”

ME: “I love it! It has been such an amazing experience, and I cannot see myself being anywhere else.”

AUBURN GIRL: “Oh. I was really worried about you. I wasn’t sure you would fit in there.”

ME: “Well, there are at least 30,000 students on campus. I was bound to find one to be my friend. … Why would you think that?”

AUBURN GIRL: “Umm, well, Auburn fans have been taking the same bus to games since 1940. Last year, LSU fans burned the bus down, effectively ruining one of our sacred traditions, and we are all still heartbroken. I just cannot imagine you socializing with people who do that because LSU fans are awful. And everyone at that school is a drunkard.”

ME: Stunned silence

Note: The last statement was a particular blow because I didn’t have ONE sip of alcohol until I was 21. (I’m cool like that.) And after our conversation, this girl went on and preached about how she was a member of so many religious groups on campus and how great she was for doing this. I have nothing against this — I was a Young Life leader for three years in college — but I couldn’t bear to listen to her rambling on about how she was so fabulous when she was clearly full of herself.

To this day, whenever my Fighting Tigers face off against the Tigers/War Eagles/Plainsmen, I think about this conversation that showed quite a bit about rumors, rivalries and why I never really liked this girl in the first place.

The lesson learned? Not all LSU fans are evil, drunken idiots (like me!) and not all Auburn fans are nice (or tactful).

And, in the end, it’s just a game. We should be able to be friends off the field, right, without believing stereotypes?

Exactly.

Tonight, LSU plays Auburn. It will be a good game. And if nothing else, I can giggle with my mom about buying a ‘Geaux to Hell Auburn’ shirt that I’ve wanted since that fateful conversation. Because I’m classy like that.