College football is about pride, pageantry, and tradition. A lot of tradition. There are many great college football traditions around, but only some can be considered my top 10. So without further ado, here are the top 10 traditions in college football.
10. Iowa's Pink Locker Room
If you ever visit the visitor's locker room at Iowa's Kinnick Stadium, you'll notice one thing: it is very pink. This was done on purpose by a former Iowa coach to put visitor's in a passive mood, the entire visitor's facility is pink. Very strange, but if it works, it works.
9. Running Through the T and "Rocky Top"
Imagine seeing Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, with 100,000 people making an orange and white checkered pattern. The Tennessee Volunteers run out of the locker room through a "T" formed by the band and cheerleaders-- a prime example of pageantry. Then, during the game, those same 100,000 fans will keep the energy up with numerous renditions of "Rocky Top." If all that doesn't get you pumped up, then you must be an Alabama fan.
8. Chief Osceola's Ride at Florida State
Prior to kickoff at Florida States' Doak Campbell Stadium, the Seminole mascot, Osceola, a depiction of the real life Seminole leader of the same name, rides his trusty steed Renegade to midfield and impales midfield with a flaming spear. Even though some believe the use of Native American imagery in sports is questionable, this is still an awesome tradition.
7. Ralphie Takes the Field
Ralphie the Buffalo is the official mascot of Colorado. In one of the most undeniably jaw-dropping events in college football, five Ralphie Handlers run her (not him) around the field in a horseshoe, leading the Colorado Buffaloes onto the field. It's stunning to watch five men help a 1200 pound buffalo get up to 25 miles an hour.
6. The Sooner Schooner of Oklahoma
This replica Conestoga Wagon is Oklahoma's official mascot. Pulled by ponies, Boomer and Sooner. It is maintained and driven by an all-male pep squad known as the RUF/NEKS. It is driven on the field in an arch to the fifty yard line and back whenever OU scores a touchdown. A simple classic.
5.The Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech
The official mascot of the Georgia Tech student body is a 1930 Ford Model A Sport coupe known as the Ramblin' Wreck. Maintained and driven by the Ramblin' Reck Club, the vehicle is donned in Georgia Tech gold and leads the football team out before home games. Watching such a well kept car roll out is a thing of beauty.
4. Army-Navy Game
The annual football game between the United States Military Academy (Army) and the United States Naval Academy (Navy) has more pageantry than any other college football game. The two meet for the last non-bowl game of the college football season as they come together to respect each other off the field, and also to fight for bragging rights. It's always a must watch game, even in recent years where neither team has had overly great seasons.
3. Midnight Yell Practice For the 12th Man
Texas A&M was the first football team, college or professional, to call its fans the 12th Man. Said 12th Man likes to use synchronized yells at football games to help their Aggies win. So, at midnight before each home game, the 12th Man gathers at Kyle Field for yell practice, lead by Yell Leaders. It's a tradition no other fan base can claim to practice yelling at midnight before the game, and the 12th Man does it well.
2. Howard's Rock at Clemson's Death Valley
ESPN broadcaster Brent Musburger once described this as "the Most exciting 25 seconds in college football." As Clemson enters Memorial Stadium, the players rub Howard's Rock, a gift to former Clemson head coach Frank Howard from Death Valley, for good luck and run down the hill in the east end zone and onto the field. The anticipation is also exciting, since the Clemson locker room is on the west side of the stadium, so the team takes police escorted buses to the east side to run down the hill.
1. Dotting the "i" in Script Ohio
The Ohio State University Marching Band is often considered one of the best marching bands in the world. It performs at every Ohio State football game and has the best tradition in college football. Since 1937 it has performed one of Ohio State football's defining characteristics: Script Ohio. The drum major leads the band in a complex, yet efficient maneuver that ends with the band spelling out "Ohio". To top it off, the drum major also leads a fourth or fifth year sousaphone player to dot the "i" in Ohio, before taking a bow in front of a sold out crowd at Ohio Stadium. It is always amazing to watch, and never gets old. In essence, it's a classic.
