These College Student Sections Are The Craziest Sports Fans In The Country
Few moments fill a person with as much adrenaline as the home team scoring a last-second game-winning score. It could be during March Madness or a regular season college football game. That moment when the final whistle blows, the fans go crazy. It's impossible to not get sucked in, and it's way more fun to celebrate anyway! But do you know where your school's fans stack up against the craziest in the nation,? Are they the rowdiest or not even worth an honorable mention? We've taken it upon ourselves to deem which student sections are the loudest and have the craziest traditions.
Duke Students Take A Test To Get Into The "Cameron Crazies" Section
Duke basketball fans are some of the most intense college sports fans in the nation. The section finds itself in peak form for the big games against UNC every year. In 2017, demand to get into the craziest section in sports meant camping out in the cold for four weeks.
The tent city, named Kryzezewskiville after legendary Coach K, was packed to the brim with students hoping to qualify. As part of the admission process, two tests had to be passed. One diehard student even said, "this is the most I've ever studied for a test."
You Don't Want To Get Caught In A Nittany Lion White Out
The Penn State Nittany Lions give out 21,000 student tickets to every home football game. It's one of the biggest student sections in all of college sports and never fails to bring the noise and the funk.
When the team asks for a Nittany Lion white out (when all fans where a white shirt and white wig) you better comply or be prepared to face the consequences. Fans have become extra rowdy in recent years as the team, under head coach James Franklin, have become perennial National Championship contenders.
The Oakland Zoo Is Led By The "Zoonicorn"
At Pitt basketball games, fans fight for spots to sit in what's become known as the "Oakland Zoo." With 7,800 seats, it's the largest student section in college basketball, and easily one of the most fun. The "Zoonicorn," a student wearing a unicorn mask, has taken it upon himself in recent years to help rile up the fans around him.
Some tradition of the "Oakland Zoo" are to yell "sucks!" after every opposing player is announced, briefly looking up from a newspaper to do so. At the end of introductions they rip up the newspapers and wait for the first point to be scored to throw the confetti onto the court.
Texas A&M Is The Home Of The Original 12th Man
You might think the Seattle Seahawks started the 12th man tradition, but you would be wrong. Every time the NFL team uses the term, they actually pay Texas AM for the right to do so. With 40,000 students in the their section, the home of the aggies is the true home of the iconic 12th man.
The section in the largest in all of college sports, and the loudest too! Even though the football program has failed to produce a winning product in recent years, the fans still pack the stands, ready to let their emotions loose at a moment's notice.
Kansas Brings Back The Past To Enliven The Present
The Kansas University Jayhawks ask their fans to use one of the oldest chants in college sports. Yelling, "Rock, chalk, Jayhawk!" the legendary chant is a staple at Kansas basketball games. Originating in 1886, Teddy Roosevelt once called the chant the greatest he'd ever heard.
It was created by the school's science club and quickly spread to the rest of the school. Today, not only do fans chant it to cheer on their team, they turn it into a creepy song to intimidate their opponent. Works every time!
The Arizona Wildcats Have A Zoo Of Their Own
The ZonaZoo has taken over the Pac 12 Conference as one of the loudest and largest student sections. During a game, students wear school colors, turning the stands into a red sea, and yell at volumes that would make giants proud.
The ZonaZoo was created in 2002 and helped give the desert university an identity for their athletics programs. Three weeks into the 2018 seasons, the Wildcats and their fans were really bearing down on the opponents, starting a perfect 3-0, putting them in first place in the conference.
Florida Gator Fans Learn All The Dirt On Opposing Players
Called the "Rowdy Reptiles," the University of Florida's student section is anything but dysfunctional. They're crazy for sure, and also incredibly organized. Before basketball games, the Rowdies will share information with each other about their opponents players, so they're ready to taunt them at a moments notice.
Moreover, chants from the crowd are organized and practiced. Dances are choreographed, too. With so many coordinated distractions at their disposal, opposing basketball teams always have an extra tough time stealing a game from the home team.
Kentucky Doesn't Have The Largest Student Section, But It Might Be The Loudest
In 2015, Kentucky cut their allotment of student tickets to basketball games from 9,000 to about 4,000. The student section might be smaller than others on this list, but they're unbridled in passion. It's no joke coming to Rupp Arena and trying to beat the home team!
The lower level of the fan section is callled the "eRUPPtion Zone." It's consistently one of the loudest and craziest in the sport. If anything, maybe having 9,000 students in the section was just too much for opposing teams and competitive balance needed to be restored.
Mississippi State Fans Have A Fever, And The Only Cure Is More Cowbell!
You remember how annoying vuvuzelas were when they blew up the Florida sports scene, right? Mississippi State fans have managed to one-up the gulf state with their undying love for cowbells. They even brag about the fact that their game day cowbells are made by the Mississippi State Bell Compnay!
For three to four hours every home game, the Bulldog faithful play the song of their people, much to the chagrin of their opponents. If you ever choose to go to a game, never forget we warned you about possible hearing loss!
Clemson Fans Stick Around During The Darkest Times
At some point during Clemson's darkest athletic days, their string of poor performances and bad luck was named "Clemsoning." Even during those dark times, though, the fans stuck it out and cheered on their team. These days, Clemson is one of the top football programs in the nation.
After winning the National Championship in 2017, Clemson said goodbye to talented quarterback Deshaun Watson. Still, that didn't stop them from being one of the best teams in the nation the following season, narrowly missing back-to-back National Championship appearances.
Florida State Fans Paint Their Bodies Red And Gold To Show Their Support
Not to be confused with University of Florida fans, Florida State fans bring their own magic to the stands every Saturday. They start by bringing paint to the the tailgate, dousing their bodies in red and gold to show their university pride.
Once these shiny fans get to their seats, the real fun begins. As the game starts, they begin their university war chant. Visiting fans have even been caught on TV joining the festivities, including performing the controversial tomahawk chop.
Georgia Bulldog Fans Believe In The Glory They Sing About Every Saturday
Georgia Bulldog fans are some of the most fiercely loyal in the country. Every year the school's game day attendance is in the top ten in the nation. Their fans come for the game and stay for the party, spending the day singing the school's rebellious fight song.
Playing their games at Sanford Stadium, Bulldog fan traditions are all about history. The stadium was built in 1929 and can fill to a maximum capacity of 92,746! Good luck being an opposing fan in this swirling sea of red.
LSU Fans Have No Filters When It Comes To What They'll Shout
Louisiana State University fans have a reputation for being brash. One ESPN reporter wrote this in 2014, "you have thousands of unruly purple-and-gold-clad students raining chants, profanities and boos down on you in a stadium that traps sound right over the top of teams."
The LSU student section does indeed have a problem when it comes to filtering their language. Known to get out of hand with their profanities, they even show up in the worst weather conditions to let the craziest parts of their personalities shine through the clouds.
Ohio State University Turns Their Stadium Into One Giant Student Section
When you're school enrolls 44,741 students, you know the student section is going to overflow at your home games. To make sure there's enough room for all their raucous fans, Ohio State has turned both end zone stands into massive fan sections, making play calling impossible for opposing teams near the goal line.
The Block "O' is the most famous of the two and has been around since 1938. Its students are known for their capes and card stunts, as well their vocal intensity. According to head football coach Urban Meyer, it's part of what makes the team so good.
Tennessee Fans Have Brought The Thunder Back In Recent Years
The University of Tennessee football program plays in a stadium that can hold over 100,000 people. When the student section is full, as it has been in recent years, it is one of the most devastating places for other teams to play.
A few years ago, the school received a record breaking number of ticket requests by students for a game against Oklahoma. The feeling inside the stadium was the craziest it's been in years, with one person saying "They have been with us every venture of the way, and the greatest illustration is (students) needing a ticket."
Red Raider Faithful Throw Tortillas Onto The Field
You might not know about the Texas Tech Red Raiders' student section, but you're about to. The school plays their home games at AT&T Stadium in Texas, and even during losing seasons, draws 11,000 students a game who love to scream and shout.
In 2013, former Red Raider tight end Jace Amaro said, "It's pretty incredible how many people come out there, even before we are warming up... it psyches the other team out when you have almost 20,000 students just yelling at them on the sidelines the whole game."
Virginia Tech Doesn't Fall Victim To The Sandman
Before the Virginia Tech Hokies take the field on Saturdays, Metallica's "Enter Sandman" starts playing and the fans in the stands start jumping up and down, causing a scene before a single snap is taken. The atmosphere, even in down years, is amazing, and is the reason why this is one of the country's best student sections.
At its loudest, Virginia Tech fans yell and scream no matter the score. They're known for their ability to cause false starts. At their quietest, well, they're still pretty loud and doing everything they can to swing momentum back their way.
Wisconsin Fans Keep Partying After The Game Is Over
In a tradition that dates back to the 1970s, Wisconsin Badgers' fans in the student section don't leave the stadium when the fourth quarter is over. Instead, the stay for what's been dubbed the fifth quarter. The music in the stadium keeps playing and the students dance and party until there is no energy left in their bones.
The crowd starts getting ready for the fifth quarter when the overhead starts blaring "Jump Around" by House of Pain just before fourth quarter. This is one amazing tradition you really have to see to believe!
It's Easy To Get Swept Away By The Crimson Tide
Since 2009, the Alabama Crimson Tide football team has won five National Championships. With success like that, it's easy to see how the school has formed such a rabid fan base. And when the student section is loud and full, it's almost impossible for the other team to execute.
One of the students' signature weapons are their red and white pom poms. Being waved around by thousands of screaming fans makes them much more than just cheering equipment. When the tide gets rolling, you will get swept away.
The University Of Michigan Fan Section Loves To Jingle Keys
There's more to University of Michigan fans than just dressing up like Jim Harbaugh, their eccentric head coach. Wolverine fans have several intimidating and creative traditions; the most unique of which might be the jingling of keys before momentum shifting "key" plays.
Another tradition is the "you suck" chant the crowd yells in unison when the opposing team doesn't convert on third down. Before the crowd yells, the marching band plays a quick tune, signalling the student section to let them know how they really feel.