College years are filled with classes, friends, parties, and of course, sports. Some schools take a little more pride in their athletics, and as a result, have created some unique traditions over the years. Read on to see if your alma mater made the list of wildest traditions…
Army and Navy
This is one of the more unique traditions, as the two teams swap a ‘prisoner’. This prisoner is a student who stayed on the rival campus for a semester. This is a tradition that dates back to 1890!
University of Iowa
One of the more heartwarming traditions, the ‘Hawkeye Hello’ occurs when football fans wave hello to the opposite team. When it’s a home game, fans also wave hello to the children’s hospital behind the stadium.
University of Southern California
Create a clang by kicking the flagpole on this college campus. Before a big Trojan home game, fans kick one of the three flagpoles outside the stadium on Explosion Boulevard.
West Virginia University
If you’ve ever been to West Virginia or a karaoke bar, chances are you’ve heard this song. WVU fans sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver during a football game.
St. Joesph’s University
The Hawk Flap is a tradition that requires very little effort on fans part. From the very start to the very end of a basketball game, the Hawk flaps his wings. That takes some serious arm strength!
University of Kansas
These fans know a good chant. This sports saying is very simple. “Rock chalk, Jayhawk, KU” covers the Jayhawk stadium during big games. They’ll also say “Rock chalk” as a greeting with “Jayhawk” as a response!
UC Berkeley
For fans of the Cal Golden Bears, hanging out on Chapel “Tightwad” Hill is a must during football season. The location earned the nickname as it it’s the place where students can watch the game for free!
Clemson University
If you get a rare $2 bill, you might see an orange Clemson paw on the front. The school has made it a mission to spend their $2 bills around town before a game so everyone is spreading the Clemson love!
Stanford
The Stanford Cardinals have a harsh rivalry with the California Bears. When the two schools face-off, Standford students attend what they call the “Bearial”, where students give a stuffed bear a full funeral.
Ohio State University
The Mirror Lake Jump is when students plunge into the pond located on campus. This is typically done during ‘Michigan Week’ when the Buckeyes battle the Wolverines in some college football.
Ohio State University
THE Ohio State has another tradition, namely, spelling out ‘Ohio’ in the traditional script with marching band members. Script Ohio begins every OSU football game.
University of Alabama
People love to hate the Crimson Tide, but the school certainly thrives off of the insults. When at a game, expect to hear the “Rammer Jammer” cheer, which ends in a “rammer jammer, yellowhammer, give ’em hell, Alabama!”
University of Pennsylvania
UPenn stole this tradition from the famous Rocky Horror Picture Show. The fans ‘toast’ to their home team by throwing toast, bread, and rolls once their fight song says “Here’s a toast to dear old Penn.”
University of California, Los Angeles
The Bruins basketball team has a rather unusual chant started by superfan Lawrence “Frisbee” Davis. The Frisbee chant goes “Is this a basketball?” to which the crowd responds “Yes, that’s a basketball.”
University of Connecticut
Big Red chanting is a staple of this college. Basketball is the sport of choice at UConn, and once a point is scored, it’s the Husky mascot who starts a Big Red chant, U-C-O-N-N!
University of Kansas
Trash talk is a central part of any good sports game, and no one does it better than Jayhawk fans. The Waving the Wheat tradition waves the losing opposing team off, like wheat waving in a field.
University of Miami
Fans and former students love to throw up The U. The U is a symbol made with two palms, and it’s gestured at sports games or when two Miami fans might run into each other.
Indiana University
The Under-8 Timeout is when a basketball timeout prompts the band to play “William Tell Overture”. The whole performance is the exact amount of time the timeout takes. Perfect!
Wake Forest
Halloween time is the best at Wake Forest, where the tradition of decorating the quad to resemble their mascot’s hairstyle is a fan favorite. The toilet paper thrown over the trees is supposed to resemble the sideburns.
Penn State
The White Out game is a PSU tradition where fans all wear matching white tees. Beaver Stadium goes completely monocolored for the biggest football game of the season.
University of Pittsburgh
For Pitt Panthers, the Cathedral of Learning is a beacon on campus. During football season, the beautiful skyscraper lights up the sky, alerting the campus and entire city of Pittsburgh that the Panthers have won.
University of Wisconsin
“Jump Around!” is a classic game song, but the Badgers take it a step farther. When the song comes on, this school literally jumps around. The 90s would be impressed.
Utah State University
“I Believe!” is a classic chant from this school. The chant beings with just an “I!” that the crowd repeats, continuing until they make a call and response saying “I believe that we will win!”
Taylor University
Taylor U is a fairly small school. On ‘Silent Night’ everyone dresses up like it’s Halloween and only cheer on the tenth point, dead silent the rest of the time.
University of Arkansas
“Woooooo, Pig. Sooie!” is chanted throughout the Razorback stadium, accompanied by wiggling fingers and a fist pump. A truly unique experience!
Florida State University
Seminoles are part of the ACC, so when they pull off a particularly impressive win, they like to bury some turf from the losing team in an on-campus graveyard known as Sod Cemetary.
University of Florida
The Gator Chomp is an all-time favorite for Florida fans. Whenever something good happens in a Florida sports game, stretch out your arms and do a chomp!
Texas A&M
Before a big home game, Aggies congregate in Kyle Field and scream at the top of their lungs. ‘Yell leaders’ wear overalls sing songs and direct chants. What a time!
John Brown University
The toilet paper toss is a tradition that involves exactly what you think. When their basketball team scores the first basket, the stands flood the court with TP. The other team gets a technical foul and two free throws. Worth it.
Mississippi State University
Need more cowbell? Not at these games you don’t! The fans of Bulldogs bring the bells to game to clang, so annoying to hear that they had to agree to not to ring during actual gameplay.
Texas A&M
Aggie fans like to “wave the 12th man towel.” What does that mean? Well, they wave towels for the entirety of the game, from start to finish. Impressive!
Auburn University
“War Eagle” is not a mascot, but a chant, and sometimes even a greeting. If you’re ever around a war eagle, don’t be surprised if they work it into the conversation.
Auburn University
Another Auburn tradition is heading to Toomer’s Corner outside of Jordan-Hare Stadium and covering the trees in rolls of toilet paper.
Duke University
If you can pronounce Krzyzewskiville, you’re probably a Blue Devil. Fans o Duke camp out in tents outside of Cameron Stadium, creating Krzyzewskiville. Even the coaches and athletes stop by!
University of Alabama
‘Roll Tide!’ is local slang for hello, goodbye, how are you, what’s the weather, good game, and pretty much anything else. If you’re in Tuscaloosa, be sure to let out a “Roll Tide!”
Ole Miss
When one ‘tailgates the grove’, you should join. This is the largest and most popular tailgate in the country, collecting almost 100,000 fans to the grounds. Go Rebels!
University of New Hampshire
Wildcats? More like Wild Fish! These hockey fans throw fish onto the ice once their team scores the first goal of the season. Probably smells terrible in the rink!
University of Iowa
Iowa fans know every word to their victory polka song. The song goes “In Heaven, there is no beer, that’s why we drink it here!”
University of Pittsburgh
Panthers love their Heinz Ketchup field, and celebrate this when the team gets into the “red zone”. Sirens go off and the fans mimic pouring out two bottles of ketchup.
West Virginia University
WVU fans have a neverending rivalry with Detriot, but the two are actually similar in that WVU fans set fire to a couch after each win.
Penn State
The “We are!” “Penn State!” chant might be one of the most iconic of all sports teams. No matter where you are, you can throw out a “We are!” and a Nittany Lion will likely respond!
The University of Miami
The Turnover Chain is a new but important tradition. The blinged-out necklace even has a music video and song. Jealous?
Washington State University
Every ESPN College GameDay broadcast features a Cougars flag. Originally, they wanted to bring the broadcast to Pullman, but now it’s just part of the history!
Army-Navy
The Black Knights and Midshipman love the theatrics of this iconic game, and it all starts with the March In. Both schools fans march in from opposite entrances, very official and ready to play!
University of Southern California
USC students prepare for their game with UCLA by wrapping the trojan horse statue in duct tape the week leading up. No one knows why, but don’t question tradition!
Navy
The Naval Academy students have a tradition of doing a pushup after every touchdown. No wonder they’re so strong!
University of Oklahoma
The Sooner Schooner is the best ride on campus. The covered wagon is driven by members of the Oklahoma spirit squad. It’s been riding across the field for 50 years!
University of Wisconsin
If you watch a Wisconsin game, don’t be surprised when Law students flood the fields wearing bowler hats and canes, it’s part of the tradition! They throw canes through the goalposts, the first one to get it through will win their first case!
Clemson University
Howard’s Rock is a piece of white flint gifted to coach Frank Howard in 1960. Ever since, the team has been rubbing the rock before a big game, even taking a bus from the locker room to the rock to the field!
Colorado University
What’s a better mascot than a live buffalo? Ralphie’s Run involves a female bison storming the field and doing a lap at the start of the game. The animal can get up to 25 miles per hour!
University of Miami
The Miami Hurricanes enter their games through a. cloud of smoke, or more likely, man-made fog machines. It adds a dramatic flair to the big game!
Notre Dame
“Play like a champion today.” This is the slogan ND fans have always said before a big game, and team members look at before entering the field, but it’s a good motto for life too!
University of Oregon
The Oregon Ducks mascot is a motorcycle-riding, Ducktales theme playing, Donald Duck! He rides around and leads the team onto the field. What a quack!
Stanford University
The Stanford University mascot is a very strange source of pride for the students. The mascot, the Tree, is something Stanford students eagerly and entirely support. Go trees!
University of Iowa
The legendary pink locker room is only found at UIowa. Competitors visiting the school for a game get ready in a completely pink locker room. Apparently, it’s actually very nice!
Ole Miss
The Walk of Champions starts at the legendary Grove. The team walks through The Grove before a championship game. Sadly, there hasn’t been a champion on this walk since 1962. It might be time to rename this tradition…