College Football Traditions

By Michelle Toglia

From tailgating at the break of dawn to belting out the team song, college football traditions are beloved by students, fans, alumni -- sometimes even the opposing team! Whether you root for the Trojans or the Tar Heels, let these spirited customs inspire your Game Day party.

University of Wisconsin
Home of lovable mascot Bucky the Badger, the University of Wisconsin is a Big 10 school rife with tradition. The cardinal and white Badgers' home base is Camp Randall Stadium (est. 1917), one of the country's largest school-owned stadiums.
Fifth Quarter
Whether the team wins or loses, UW still celebrates with post-game ritual "The Fifth Quarter," during which the school band plays favorites like "On, Wisconsin" and "The Bud Song." Originally, the performance was meant to entertain fans as they exited the stadium, but it quickly became an after-party tradition, says Karl Anderson, athletic communications assistant at the University of Wisconsin.
Jump Around
In between the third and fourth quarters of football games, the student section -- along with the majority of the stadium -- dances to "Jump Around" by House of Pain. Fans have been jumping since 1998. (Watch 'em here).

Notre Dame
Brimming with tradition and tons of school spirit, Fighting Irish football is so intense, the team is in its own football conference.
Kickoff Luncheon
Notre Dame fans are a devout bunch -- they start prepping for the game at noon on Fridays with lunch in the Joyce Center field house. Well-equipped with guest speakers, football coaches, players, and the ND band, the gathering is a great way to get pumped.
Midnight Drummer Circle
At midnight before a Saturday home game, the Notre Dame Drumline leads Cadences and Cheers in front of the Golden Dome for 45 minutes, says Jessica M. Brookshire of Notre Dame University Events & Protocol.
Tailgating
Tailgaters often show up well before sunrise to get their desired parking spot on Game Day Saturdays. Brookshire says many of the Notre Dame Residence halls take part by selling food on football weekends. (The proceeds support dorm budgets.)
Student Section
A few hours before kickoff, Fighting Irish fans join the football players and coaches as they leave their team mass and start their traditional walk to the Notre Dame Stadium.

Arizona State University
The maroon and gold Arizona State Sun Devils play in the Sun Devil Stadium (est. 1958), which has hosted some of the most legendary Pac-10 games.
Sparky's Push-Ups
At Arizona State University, the student section gets heated up every time their team scores a touchdown -- literally. When the Sun Devils score, Sparky the Sun Devil hits the ground and matches ASU's points on the scoreboard in push-ups. The always-energetic student section counts along with Sparky, hands raised in "pitchforks," with each number, says ASU Marketing Manager Adeline Lui.

University of Southern California
Since 1923, the USC's football team has played in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, one of the nation's largest stadiums.
The Traveler
Having won 11 national championships, the cardinal and gold Trojans are no strangers to college football victories. Naturally, the Traveler is one of the nation's most famous mascots, and a real one too. Since 1961, Traveler the regal horse has appeared at all USC home football games and even at the Orange Bowl in Miami, according to the USC Web site. While the mascot's breed has changed over the years, Traveler has always been pure white. Whenever USC scores, Traveler gallops around the Coliseum as the band plays "Conquest," riling up the fans.

University of Iowa
The University of Iowa's Kinnick Stadium hosts the Hawkeye football team and 70,000 fans every home Game Day.
In Heaven There is No Beer
After each Hawkeye win, the University of Iowa marching band unleashes the fan favorite, "In Heaven There is No Beer". While most of the crowd sings along, others hang out in the stadium just to hear it, says Emily Cornish, director of membership and marketing for the University of Iowa Alumni Association.
Tailgating on Melrose
Hawkeye fans are serious about Tailgating. "You must wait in bumper-to-bumper traffic at 7 a.m. to make your way to your tailgating spot," says Cornish. Whether tailgaters enjoy fancy spreads on Hawkeye tablecloths or a bag of chips on a card table, all Hawkeye fans make their Game Day a party.

University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota brought the new TCF Stadium for the 18-time Big Ten Championship winners this year.
Game Day Party
UMN alumni and fans gather at the McNamara Alumni Center three hours prior to kickoff for a huge pre-game party full of food, drinks and live music. After an hour, the Gopher Football Team runs through the plaza to greet their fans before starting their Victory Walk to TCF Bank Stadium. The party continues throughout the game and, for many, long afterward.
Gopher Victory Walk
Before the Golden Gophers enter the TCF Bank stadium on Game Day, fans have a chance to walk with them before The Pride of Minnesota (UMN's marching band) performs their pre-game show.

University of North Carolina
When the UNC Tar Heels have a home game, Tar Heel Town is the place to be for food, drinks, prizes and tons of other pregame activities.
The Old Well Walk
UNC fans join Coach Davis, the Tar Heels, cheerleaders and team mascot Ramses as they walk from Old Well to Kenan Stadium about two-and-a-half hours before kickoff.
Countdown to Kickoff Show
UNC fans can listen live to a pre-game radio show to hear the scouting report for each Saturday's game and hear former football legends share their experiences as Tar Heels.

Georgia Tech
Since 1913, the white and gold Yellow Jackets have been cheered on by fans at the Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field, the oldest on-campus stadium in NCAA Division I-A.
Ramblin' Wreck
Yellow Jacket football wouldn't be complete without the Ramblin' Wreck tradition. Since 1961, a gold car has driven the football team onto Grant Field before a game. In the 1950s, a 1930 Ford Cabriolet Sport Coupe was donated to the school and became the official Ramblin' Wreck car. "Ramblin' Wreck" is also the name of Georgia Tech's fight song, written in the early 1900s to the tune of "The Sons of the Gamboliers."
Rat Caps
Since 1915, it has been a Georgia Tech custom for the freshmen class to wear a gold-colored rat cap as an initiation. Freshmen decorate their caps by writing the football scores of the latest game on it -- winning scores are written upright and losing scores are drawn upside down. Originally, the tradition included first-year military students only, and then expanded to include all freshmen.

The University of Texas
Since 1949, fans of the Texas Longhorns have experienced 47 team championships. With the ability to hold 100,119 die hard UT fans, the 75-year-old stadium proves that everything really is bigger in Texas.
The UT Tower
Even UT's architecture has school spirit. The school's 27-foot UT Tower honors the Longhorns' athletic achievements by lighting up brightly enough for all of Austin to see. When UT wins a game, the tower's top is lit up in orange. When the Longhorns beat rival school Texas A&M or win a Big 12 Championship game, the entire Tower glows orange. If they win a Football Bowl Championship Series or NCAA championship, the UT tower is immersed entirely in orange, with the "#1" glimmering brightly.
Hook 'em Horns
For 46 years, University of Texas fans have taken their team spirit to new levels with a much-cherished team hand signal called the Hook 'em Horns to resemble their mascot the Longhorn. The waving salutation accompanies the University's tradition of signing "The Eyes of Texas." The hand gesture was voted the nation's top hand signal by Sports Illustrated.