page_title: Northwestern Wildcats
section_title: Traditions
hierarchical_section_title: Northwestern Wildcats / History / Traditions
caption_attribution_description: English: The Northwestern University "Wildcat" Marching Band forms the "Sculpted N" and performs "Go U Northwestern!" to close its pregame performance at the 2005 Sun Bowl.
context_page_description: The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, located in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern has eight men's and eleven women's NCAA Division I sports teams. The mascot is Willie the Wildcat. The athletic director is former Northern Illinois University Athletic Director Jim Phillips, who took office in April 2008.
context_section_description: During football games, students jingle their car keys before every kickoff and punt. When Northwestern is on defense, students extend their arms, make a claw with their hands, and growl.  The "official" cheer at Northwestern sporting events is the chant "Go U! NU!" 
  Northwestern Wildside is the official student section of Northwestern athletics. They are led in their gameday cheers by the Wildside leaders and Northwestern University cheerleaders, who perform on the sidelines during all home games and accompany the football team to all away games. The NUMB performs on the field and in the stands at all home games and follows the football team to one Big Ten away game per season.
  For many years, students would throw marshmallows at the kick-off of football games. Northwestern archivist Patrick Quinn says that students were likely "trying to get them into the tubas, and then started throwing them at each other", leading to the tradition of throwing marshmallows at the field. While Gary Barnett was football coach, he banned marshmallows because they supposedly detracted from the serious level of football that he wanted for the school.
  Northwestern's fight song is "Go U Northwestern" A secondary fight song is "Rise Northwestern (Push on Song)", the final 4-measure tag (ending with a shouted "Go, 'Cats!") of which is often played after first downs.
caption: The Northwestern University "Wildcat" Marching Band forms the "Sculpted N" and performs "Go U Northwestern!" to close its pregame performance at the 2005 Sun Bowl under the direction of Daniel J. Farris.
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