Top 10 Most Loyal College Football Fanbases: Debating Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, and more
College football culture is unlike any other in America, as fans go all-out to support their favorite schools. The stadiums are bigger, the tailgates are crazier, and the emotions run higher than in any other sport. Rivalries can get nasty on and off the field as well.
While many fans love football, most can't appreciate teams that they don't personally support. Loyalty to a region or alumnus often becomes fiercer than professional ties. It's what makes some of college football's conference matchups so riveting regardless of record.
With hundreds of Division I teams and many others at other levels, the claim for the most loyal isn't an exact science. Dozens of collegiate fanbases have a valid claim.
Here is a look at the Top 10 most loyal college football fanbases:
#10. Auburn
First up on the list is an SEC school that hasn't achieved great success in the past decade. Based on how Jordan-Hare Stadium fills for home games, it would be impossible to tell. However, Auburn's fans travel well and always support the team, even when times are tough.
#9. Texas A&M
Sticking with the SEC West, the Aggies are another team that has seen better days. Still, Kyle Field is the undisputed home of the 12th Man. Fans have been vocally displeased with the past few seasons, but that hasn't diminished their support every Saturday.
#8. Notre Dame
Notre Dame has fans scattered across the country. The Fighting Irish's network of supporters stems from generations of fans supporting the college football team relentlessly. These aren't the glory days, but Notre Dame consistently has a top product on the field and fans wherever they're playing.
#7. Oklahoma
There isn't many schools more successful than the Sooners, nor many places that care about college football more than Norman, Oklahoma. Although things were shaky in 2022, Oklahoma spent the past 20 years as the toast of the Big 12. With multiple Heisman winners and finalists recently, fans have had plenty to cheer for too.
#6. South Carolina
The end of the 2022 season brought glimmers of hope to a stumbling South Carolina program. Either way, fans were supporting their favorite college football teams in droves the entire time. There aren't many places that get louder than South Carolina on a Saturday night.
Just arrived at Tennessee-Clemson to the sight of a plane carrying this message.
Well done, Gamecocks. I respect it lol https://t.co/36T0dOP95H
#5. Alabama Crimson Tide
Some of the things Alabama fans have said about their rivals are certainly hilarious. Other things they've done were sometimes a combination of crazy, weird, and perhaps even dangerous. Regardless of the outcome, the motivation was the same. Tuscaloosa loves the Crimson Tide football team.
#4. Ohio State
The Ohio State University Buckeyes fanbase will tell anyone within earshot about their favorite college football team. They'll also demand nothing but excellence from the program. Tough times on the gridiron are rare in Columbus, but loyal fans are more common than ants.
#3. Georgia
It's easy rooting for the team that's won two straight national titles, but the Bulldogs were loyal way before then. Barking in people's faces and flirting with hope to no avail have always been staples in Athens. Success expanded the fanbase, but the core is as loyal as ever.
#2. Michigan
Just like Georgia, this is a great program that for years couldn't reach the heights fans wanted. Although the Wolverines are still searching for another championship, consecutive Big Ten titles rewarded years of patience. Thousands of loyal supporters were rewarded for surviving the Brady Hoke era with Jim Harbaugh's recent success.
@nocontextcfb Michigan vs. Ohio State, November 27, 2021. For Michigan fans the biggest win in 50 years. Electric atmosphere. Heavyweight battle. Cathartic victory. Echoed the Bo vs. Woody rivalry beginning in 1969. Somewhere Bob Ufer smiled. Go Blue! 〽️ https://t.co/gLPknZSEtv
#1. Nebraska
If it came down to on-field performance, the Cornhuskers perhaps wouldn't be noteworthy in the current college football landscape. Yet, this historic program stays relevant due to a fanbase with unmatched passion. Nebraska has sold out 389 consecutive home games, a streak that began in 1962. That's loyalty.