They come to every home game. When the team is on the road, they gather in front of the TV for “watch parties” with friends and lots of food.
They wave signs to support the team and wear T-shirts that they altered to feature the name and number of players — and one of them even has a tattoo to honor her favorite Raider.
They are Tammy Brazee and her family, who are made up of her daughter, Marissa Fall, and Marissa’s husband, Ed, and their three children. For years they have been fans of Colgate sports, although men’s basketball has emerged as their favorite team.
Whether the Raiders play at home or on the road, the family does not miss a game.
“I don’t think we have missed watching them play in probably three or four years,” Marissa Fall said. “We have watched every home game. We’ve watched every away game. We have watch parties at home. We went to the Syracuse-Colgate game last year as well.”
Every year, when new student-athletes join the team, the family tries to meet every one of them, usually before or after a game.
Over the years, the family has built close relationships with several players. They take photos together and share laughs, and some players have visited the family and spent time with Marissa Fall’s three kids and Brazee. The family also sends text messages to players to congratulate them after a game.
For some in maroon and white, the Falls’ have become a second family.
“They show a lot of support for us and are always there for us if we need anything,” said senior guard Chandler Baker. “They have kind of been like my second family. We hang out with their kids and their kids are pretty fun. They are a great family to be around.”
Nicolas Louis-Jacques, a senior guard, said he’s grateful for the support of the Falls family.
“They come to every single game to support us, no matter what,” Louis-Jacques said. “They make signs for every single game. Their kids have jerseys of some of the players. They are very caring and loving. They do it out of pure love. We appreciate that.”
The family’s support for Colgate sports began with Brazee, who spent 10 years working as a staffer at the dining facilities on campus. Over the years, Brazee met student-athletes of all teams, becoming friends with many of them.
About six years ago, she developed friendships with former men’s basketball student-athletes like Sean O’Brien and Jordan Swopshire. Around that time, the family began to attend Colgate games, including men’s basketball.
“We watched football, soccer, and hockey,” Marissa Fall said. “I know some of the football players. We still communicate and talk to some of the football players.”
As the years went by, the family’s support for men’s basketball continued to grow. But their support took off after the family met former guard Oliver Lynch-Daniels ‘23.
Brazee, when working on campus, was the first to meet Lynch-Daniels. Soon he met the rest of the family, and over time they built a special bond. Lynch-Daniels spent time with the family, and on occasions gave Marissa Fall’s kids a ride to and from school.
As an educational studies major, Lynch-Daniels spent time at Hamilton Central School, where he saw Marissa Fall’s sons from time to time.
For Brazee, meeting Lynch-Daniels was like welcoming a new member to the family.
“She looks at Oliver as a son,” Marissa Fall said. “He has been there for her. She has been there for him. He is someone she has connected with the strongest over the last five years.”
As a show of appreciation for their friendship, Brazee surprised Lynch-Daniels one day by sending him a photo of her at a tattoo shop. She was there to get a tattoo of his No. 33.
Lynch-Daniels said he was stunned by the news.
“That was really cool,” Lynch-Daniels said. “It just shows she felt really close to me and felt that I was close enough family wise. It was a really awesome thing to have — her support and the family support at all the games.”
Lynch-Daniels spent six months playing professional basketball in Bosnia. Despite being thousands of miles away, the Fall family still watched his games through YouTube.
The friendships built with the men’s basketball team has also been crucial for Marissa Fall’s three sons, who range in age from 4 to 14 and have idolized the players and coaches.
“Having someone to look up to and just watching them go through college, watching them off and on the court, has been important for my sons,” Marissa Fall said. “Having them connect with my kids has been wonderful. They look at Oliver as a big brother.”
When the family comes to a game, Marissa Fall’s 4-year-old son, Colt, always looks forward to seeing assistant coach Trey Montgomery.
“My youngest son, Colt, really, really connects with Trey Montgomery,” Marissa Fall said. “
