Many high school students are drawn to the culture of college football schools, with the hustle and bustle of game days and intense school pride that stretches beyond football season. If your student wants to participate in time-honored traditions while cheering on their team (but needs to expand their list beyond the Wisconsin Badgers), these five schools offer the energy, competitive spirit, and camaraderie that they seek.
Clemson University:
Clemson’s Tigers put on a show for their orange-clad supporters in Memorial Stadium. Before the home opener, students and athletes participate in the First Friday Parade, which features floats made by student organizations. Listen for the Tiger Rag and watch the athletes’ pre-game entrance run down The Hill.
University of Florida:
Florida’s fans flood the The Swamp, aka Griffin Stadium, on fall game days wearing orange and blue and bearing plenty of school spirit. The Gators are big on tradition, with classics like the Gator Walk entry and songs like We Are The Boys and the Gator Fight Song.
University of Georgia:
The Bulldog Nation creates an intense game-day experience from well before kickoff. Fans in red and black arrive more than two hours early for the athletes’ Dawg Walk entry into Sanford Stadium. From the kickoff chant to the ring of the Chapel Bell after home-game victories, UGA offers plenty of excitement for football fanatics.
University of Michigan:
On football Saturdays, Ann Arbor takes on a whole new energy as students, alumni, and visitors alike travel to the Big House, which can seat over 100,000 screaming fans. Wolverine supporters are decked in “maize and blue,” and fight song The Victors is sure to earn a reaction from the student section.
Texas A&M University:
Follow the sea of maroon to College Station’s Kyle Field to witness Aggies’ game-day energy. The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, composed entirely of Corps of Cadets members, plays classics like the Aggie War Hymn with soldier-like precision. Students and other supporters can participate in the Midnight Yell before home games, then obey the Yell Leaders’ hand-sign directions to cheer on their team.
No matter your student’s interests, Galin’s college counseling team can help them discover best-fit schools in the Big 10 and beyond!
