This Friday is the annual Izzone Campout, where thousands of loyal (read: insane) fans camp on Munn Field in hopes of gaining access to the mythical land of the lower bowl and avoiding the freshman infested wasteland that is the “Ozone.”

One cannot go into such a monumental event unprepared, so we here at the Impact want to give the readers the best ways to survive the campout.

Bring all of your clothes

Welcome to Michigan in the fall. Current weather forecasts predict a high of 63 and a low of 43 on Friday. Unless you were raised in the tundra, most of us consider that pretty cold. Combine that with the fact that you will be sleeping in an open field with only tents as a windbreak and there is a pretty good chance it’s going to be nasty.

Fortunately, this year fans will be able to watch the hockey game and basketball practice for free during the campout so that will provide some relief from the elements.

Know who this guy is

If you don’t know who this is, then you best take your tent and go home friend. No disrespect to the casual fan, but if you do not know that that is the head coach of the Michigan State men’s basketball team (I will not say his name so nobody cheats), then you deserve to share a seat with whatever pigeons might be buzzing around the Breslin’s rafters.

Be ready for a late night

Time for full disclosure, I have never been to the Izzone Campout. I decided to backdoor my way into games by getting a press pass (humblebrag city: population, me). According to my sources, there is a pretty cool thing that happens at 3 a.m. I won’t give it away here because that would ruin the fun, but just know that you should not expect this to be a relaxing evening camping with your buddies.

Go Green, Go fly a kite

The “Go Green, Go White” chant is iconic at MSU. It is also the least original thing you can utter, and at an event comprised of entirely Michigan State fans it can quickly become the most obnoxious sound to enter your ears. So do not shy away from sporting your Spartan pride, just throw in an occasional “Go State!” or perhaps “Michigan is an excellent program but, in my biased opinion, is inferior to ours!” or some variation on that.

Do not leave early

I  do not recommend leaving early because that would almost ensure that you are in the nosebleeds. They do check-ins every so often and you have to have your numbered wristband on and ready to present whenever these happen. “But Andrew, that sounds like prison!” Yes, voice in my head, yes it does. But would you spend a night in the slammer so you could sit front row at MSU basketball games? That’s what I thought.

Behave yourself

This is a personal appeal. As much fun as it is to be known as a rowdy fan base, talking about how unruly college students are is absolutely exhausting. It gives people a reason to bash an entire generation based on the actions of few. So I guess all I am asking is, if you are going to start trouble, keep it at a small enough level that I do not have to write a column in a week defending whatever shenanigans might transpire Friday night.

Realize what this means

Pessimists will tell you that the arrival of October and the cooler temperatures means that winter is coming. Those who focus on the important things will tell you that it means college basketball is coming. It means we can forget about any and all shortcomings our baseball teams had in the spring. It means that, for the next six months, all eyes will be on the Breslin and the enigma of a team that MSU has this year. It means that we are that much closer to March Madness, and that is never a bad thing.

Andrew Hayes is the host of Impact Izzone for Impact Sports

Photo: David Defever/Impact Sports