Bulldog Nation flocks to Indianapolis to cheer on Dawgs in national championship

INDIANAPOLIS — Bulldog Nation has invaded Indianapolis, Indiana as the University of Georgia Bulldogs get ready to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the National College Football Playoff Championship Game Monday night.

It has been more than four decades since the Bulldogs have brought home the national championship trophy.

Their last win came in 1981 when the Dawgs beat Notre Dame.

Channel 2′s Chris Jose is in Indianapolis where he met one fan who was there that night in New Orleans when the Dawgs took home the trophy.

Cathy Kampa described it as pandemonium and the greatest day of her life, even with her husband standing right next to her.

“Well people say what was the greatest thing of your life, you know, the day you got married, the day you had children, the day you graduated from college. No! No! January 1, 1981, New Orleans, Sugar Bowl. We beat Notre Dame,” Kampa said.

She told Jose that she has been a Georgia Bulldogs fan for as long as she can remember. It all started with her father, Jimmy Colquitt.

“He and coach butts got together and formed the first bulldog club, it was actually the Cobb County Bulldog Club which became for the model for all the Bulldog clubs throughout the Southeast,” Kampa said.

From Athens, to the Rose Bowl, to the SEC Championship, to this year’s Orange Bowl, Kampa believes she’s been to nearly 500 games in her life.

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“After our disappointing 2018, now we have a chance to do it again. And the thought of not coming to Indianapolis, never crossed my mind,” Kampa said.

Kampa’s in Indianapolis with the rest of Dawg Nation and is predicting a victory over ‘Bama.

“By 1 point, 10 points, 20 points, doesn’t matter. It’s our time. And we are going to win. We’re going to bring it back to Georgia,” Kampa said.

Also in Indianapolis is the UGA Spike Squad. They are skipping the first day of the spring semester to be there to cheer on the Bulldogs.

It took some work and a lot of begging, but the entire spike squad was able to go. That came with big thanks to social media and thousands of generous donations.

“We support the Dawg Nation. We lead the student section and we set the energy,” said Garrett Nolan with the UGA Spike Squad.

“One of my work meetings got changed, and I said, ‘OK guys, I can go. So they got me a ticket and made sure I could be here because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Emily Royal with the squad.

After the Orange Bowl win, one member held a sign that said, “We need Natty tickets” with the squad’s Venmo username below. The picture went viral.

“I was eating one of the donuts that we made the sign off of,” Nolan said. “We made the sign, and I didn’t think anything would come of it.

“We’ve raised 15,000 dollars in donations to get 26 members here,” Royal said.

About a dozen members of the Spike Squad are seniors, including Sam Rothschild.

“It feels, honestly, so surreal. Lucas Oil Stadium is so cool. Indianapolis is such a great city.”

The spike squad told Jose their tickets are spread across the stadium but they’re hoping they can get to the front row.

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