Why We Love College Football
College football season is officially underway, bringing more joy than a dozen Santa Clauses. It epitomizes all the values Americans hold dear: teamwork, toughness, victory, glory. The action is fantastic, the joy of victory fills us with collective glee, and the bonds you forge with fellow fans are unlike any other. But there’s so much more.
Tailgating
Grilling out on a crisp fall day swathed in your team’s colors and watching the early games on portable TVs while playing beer pong and cornhole: Did I just describe heaven?
Pregame
Every school has its pump-up ritual and boy, is it effective. The team warms up, the band takes the field, an exciting video scrolls across the scoreboard and anticipation reaches a crescendo. Turn up!
School Pride
This is why college football hits different than pro. It’s not just your team versus my team—it’s much deeper than that. It’s a part of who you are. It's my school and everything it stands for against your school and everything IT stands for.
Rivalries
Florida vs Georgia, Ohio State vs Michigan, Oklahoma vs Texas. The World’s Largest Cocktail Party, The Backyard Brawl, The Border War: There’s nothing like a rivalry to get the blood pumping. Rivalry games do not respect any team’s W-L record leading up to the game. Anything can happen and everybody knows it.
Traditions
Traditions abound at every school in college football, and each one sets a school apart from the next. There’s the tunnel walk at Nebraska, Howard’s Rock at Clemson and dotting the “i” at Ohio State. "Jump Around” at Wisconsin, cowbells at Mississippi State, planting the spear at Florida State.
The Stands
Bleachers bring people together, literally and figuratively. Where else can you cheer for your team while high-fiving a stranger who’s practically sitting in your lap? Who needs chair back seating when you can jump up on down on the bleachers and make a terrific racket?
Mascots
From the fearsome to the lovable to the downright weird, mascots are a big part of college football. LSU’s Mike the Tiger lives in a lush 15,000 sq ft environment near the stadium. Georgia’s Uga has been owned by the same family since he arrived on the scene in 1956. The Stanford Tree began as spoof by the Stanford band in 1975 and became an instant classic.
Fight Songs
Some are quick and lively (Texas), some are short and sweet (Oklahoma), some are epic (Michigan), and some are earworms (Tennessee). No matter the school and no matter the song, fight songs fire up fans!
Hand Signs
How many schools can you name on a hand gesture alone? Texas Tech goes guns up. SMU throws up adorable pony ears. Miami lets you know they’re the U.
