College football is officially here, and that means it's time for the fans to gear up and cheer on their teams. Time for die hard and bandwagon fans alike to join in on the taunts and cheers that we all love to hear.

I remember the first time I really started to pay attention and cementing myself as a true college football fan. Ever since I was in middle school I can remember counting the days until the weekend came around so I could watch the Iowa Hawkeyes play ball. Nothing has changed since the days of middle school as I still cheer on the Hawks regardless of the outcome and regardless of who's at the coaching helm. I've been there through the good times and the bad. I've never really bought into the bandwagon fan system. I just can't shake my teams, and besides, I've invested way too much into my teams to back out on them now.

There are die hard fans for every college football team out there, yes even for UAB, and now it's time to see which teams have more die hard loyal fans than the rest.

It should come as no surprise that the two conferences with the most loyal fan bases were the BIG 10 and the SEC each with four teams in the top ten most loyal team fan bases.While I do agree with most of these there are a couple that may be off base.

Just to mix it up a bit we shall start at the number 10 spot which belongs to the Oklahoma Sooners. I'm not completely on board with where the Sooners sit but I can learn to live with it. Oklahoma is one of those teams that hasn't just been around for a long time but relevant as well. A steep tradition of winning in a power five conference will surely accumulate some die hard fans.

The number nine spot brings the first BIG 10 team into the mix with the Wisconsin Badgers. Easily one of the more enjoyable stadiums to watch college football, Camp Randall Stadium has produced 14 BIG 10 champions and plenty of professional football players. Certainly one tough place for any away team to play in.

The number eight spot rests with a former BIG 12 team now residing in the SEC in the Texas A&M Aggies. I like this spot for them although I could easily see them higher up the rankings. This Texas team hasn't really been known for a rich history in college football greatness which shows just how loyal the fan base is. Rise or fall, Texas A&M has certainly created a great fan base with the 12th man.

Staying in the SEC for the seventh spot in the rankings lies the Auburn Tigers. Steeped in tradition the Tigers roar quite loudly at home as the fans are definitely not shy about showing their support. Each and every home game these fans intend on showing the college football world they are not Alabama's little brother.

Back in the BIG ten for the number six spot on the list with the Iowa Hawkeyes. The eleven time BIG 10 champ has proven to be quite the opponent year in and year out. I for one believe the Hawkeyes belong in the first or second spot for good reason. If you take a look at the state of Iowa you will notice the absence of any professional sports team so the Hawkeyes fit the bill as the next best thing. Visiting teams beware, these fans are more than willing to let opponents know who the true black shirts are and will make playing in Kinnick a nightmare.

Number five on the list will be back in the SEC with the Gamecocks of South Carolina. This long time bottom dwelling team has certainly had no shortage of fan support. Year in and year out they cheer their hearts out. Such a loyal fan base should be ranked number one but I'm sure a championship trophy would work instead.

The fourth spot on the list is one of the most storied franchises in all of college football in the Alabama Crimson Tide. This yearly championship contender has had quite the revival since Nick Saban showed up at their doorstep. Even though they were quite the mediocre team before Saban arrived, the fan base held together and as a result, they receive championship after championship. What a rough life.

There's no luck involved with the number three spot in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Whether or not the majority of the fans even attended the university at all, they cheer on the blue and gold just the same. With no conference affiliation, this renegade university has certainly accumulated quite the renegade fan base. The Irish have practically bathed in winning tradition for most of their existence. The last 20 or so years haven't been so kind but that hasn't stopped the fan base from becoming one of the best.

The number two spot in my mind should be, if not close to, the number one spot without a doubt. If the Penn State Nittany Lions have proven anything over the years, it's been that they are the loyalist of all fans. Just look at the past couple of years and you'll see that not even a post season ban can keep these fans from packing Beaver Stadium each and every home game. This fan base has long accustomed to winning and they fact that they still cheer just as loud as ever proves why they should be number one.

The top spot belongs to the corn fed Nebraska Cornhuskers. Just like Iowa and Oklahoma, there isn't much to see at the professional level. Most Nebraska fans will boast about their loyalty often reciting the line "I'm such a Husker fan I bleed red". Huskers fans will not hesitate to follow their team through thick and thin wherever they go. While Nebraska has no professional football team the Cornhuskers sure do make up for it.

So there you have it folks, quite the impressive list here. Now it's time for football and another chance for these die hard fans to wave their team flag another year and cheer a little louder.

 

 

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