Born in Easton, Bob Sell’s younger years were spent on College Hill, growing up alongside the children of faculty.

He doesn’t remember his first Rivalry matchup—his father, Richard Sell ’60, took him over to Lehigh’s Taylor Stadium on Nov. 17, 1962, at the age of 10 months—but that game as an infant marked the beginning of what would become a long history of supporting Lafayette in college football’s most-played and longest continuous rivalry.

The many Rivalries that Sell enjoyed throughout his teenage years were followed by even more games during his time as an economics and business major. After graduation, a career at Accenture led him to New York, proving to be a proximity that allowed him to be in the stands for the last 39 consecutive Rivalries. In 2018, Sell would retire as group chief executive of Accenture’s communications, media, and technology operating group; that same year, he was elected for his first term as chairman of Lafayette’s Board of Trustees.

Per Sports Illustrated, attending The Rivalry is “something you have to do once in your life.” Dedicated fans, such as Sell, witness moments of College history writing itself every year. In 1992, for example, Sell cheered on his cousin, running back Erik Marsh ’95, who rushed 251 yards to help the Pards edge the Mountain Hawks by just three points—this was one of two years Marsh would win The Rivalry MVP. “It was just a spectacular memory,” Sell says. “My whole family was there.”

As Sell looks to next year’s 162nd meeting, held at Fisher Stadium during the Bicentennial year, here’s his best advice on going to the game.

Make a day of it—home or away

Sell explains that the scenery around Fisher and Goodman stadiums in November shows off some of the best that Pennsylvania has to offer, so take time to enjoy the entire experience. He is among the first of fans to arrive at every Rivalry (typically, at 6:30 in the morning) and, after the final whistle blows, he and his friends make a point to linger before heading home.

The more the merrier

Over the years, Sell has planned game day gatherings ranging from a dozen to more than 100 people; the multigenerational group also includes guests who aren’t alumni—even, yes, Lehigh graduates. Since Sell has organized just as many Rivalry tailgates in Bethlehem, he knows those working in Lehigh’s ticketing office just as well as Lafayette’s. He suggests purchasing tickets in blocks so that groups can stay together in the stands.

Superstitions allowed

Sell routinely carries the same maroon blanket into each Rivalry, an heirloom he’s held onto since he was six. “We only use it at this game, once a year,” Sell says. He’s in good company with the lucky accessories: Acquaintance Peter Newman ’73, who has been to more than 50 Rivalry games, always wears the same scarf that he bought in the College Store in 1971.

Be part of history

The Rivalry is history in the making, especially during a Bicentennial, and Sell hopes the students embrace it. From witnessing Taylor Stadium’s last game in 1987—“It was brutally cold with a windchill below zero and still sold out,” he recalls—to spending a weekend in New York for Rivalry 150, where nearly 50,000 fans packed Yankee Stadium, Sell describes events like these as once in a lifetime.

Have you been to 50 or more Rivalry games? Let us know at lafayettemagazine@lafayette.edu.