Would a football game cause sensory overload?

Post Reply New Topic

So its finally football season! And I have tickets to the biggest home game of the season!
This game is HUGE. They sold another like 500 tickets past the number of actual stadium seats and people are still dying to find tickets. Everyones getting hype about it and everyones going.
Heres the thing tho- I cant decide if its a good idea for me to go.
See, Ive never been to a real college football game.
The stadium will be packed with screaming fans tho, and since its a night game (8pm) they installed these bright neon red lights (seriously theyre terrible) inside the stadium to flood the seating areas with when it gets dark (no idea who decided that idea). Everyone will be loud and moving and itll be dark but between plays they play music and turn the lights on everything gets all flashy when touchdowns happen ofc.
Ive never been to a football game but I have been to basketball- and I couldnt handle it. But I always chalked that up to being on bleachers inside a small indoor gym. And I havent been to one in years.

Anyone have any experience with football games? Im trying to decide if I should go or not. I mean, its THE GAME to go to. But I also dont want to freak out within the first quarter and have to leave.

If you like football, you will enjoy being at the game.

Based on your experience at basketball games I would say probably. I've been to big time football games and while I love the atmosphere I don't generally get sensory overload. In my experience, basketball games are actually the calmer events.

Edit: KK might be right. I don't get sensory overload at sporting events, but do get it at social events, so how interested you are in the game could have an impact. By the way I expect your team to win. Your opponents are severely overranked.

Go to the game, try not to obsess about it going wrong but if it does go bad leave.

Sensory sensitivities are not even. We might tolerate or even enjoy certain noises very loud while a slight other type of noise sends us into full meltdown/shutdown. Same idea with other senses.

Are you like, truly passionate about this team? Meaning, if they lose, you'll not be a happy camper? And you know all the players?

If so, you should go. It's an unbelievable experience. I've been to a couple Chicago Bulls games and a Chicago Cubs game(hence 2 thirds of my username)in the past 4 years, and it was so much fun actually being at the United Center/Wrigley Field and seeing the players with your own eyes(I live in Iowa, so a trip to Chicago doesn't happen very often for me). I didn't have any anxiety being there, but that's just me.

I believe any large sporting event in a public arena would be sensory overload. I would love to attend a tennis tournament, but I don't know how I would handle the crowds. It would be worth it, though, to see my favorite players.

It sounds like my idea of Hell.

That being said, I enjoy loud concert gigs in stadiums. They have screaming fans and light shows, so maybe it isn't much different? I think it's different enough that I wouldn't like it, because it wouldn't feel as much like an enclosed space.

Everyone's tolerance level is different. Would it be terrible if you tried it, but had to leave?

Oh, I forgot. I also went to a Bon Jovi concert last year. It was loud. It was also A. Mazing.

My ears did hurt afterwords tho, so there’s that.