Michigan Town Ranks #3 For College Football Cities In U.S.
This week is the big game between MSU and U of M. The Spartans are traveling to Ann Arbor to take on the Wolverines at the Big House this Saturday night.
I've only been to a couple of other stadiums outside of Spartan Stadium. I've been to Northwestern (when I was a wee lad) and Notre Dame. I don't remember much about my visit to Northwestern. Notre Dame on the other hand was an amazing experience and I encourage you to go see a Notre Dame game at least once in your life. Regardless of who they are playing, it's a top notch experience.
Michigan State is fun to watch at Spartan Stadium or on TV. Although I have never been to the Big House, I have heard it's a great experience. I've also been told that the fans might talk some smack if you're wearing the opposing teams' colors. I expect that. I do know that U of M fans are passionate about their football. There is a lot of history and tradition that surrounds their program.
Big Ten schools are loyal to their teams. College football has many notable football programs, but does that mean that they offer the best hometown experience? Does that qualify a school to be listed as one of the top 15 best in the country? Bleacher Report did a study and based on the following criteria this is the list they came up with:
These selections were based on a town's relationship to its college program, passion in terms of fan support, traditions, culture and entertainment options on football weekends.
Some large-city campuses, such as Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State) and Austin, Texas (Texas) are such massive metro areas that they aren't eligible for this list. Instead, this list focuses on the smaller-sized cities and towns that are synonymous with their college football teams.
Now that you know the criteria, let's countdown the top college football towns in the U.S.
Top 15 College Football Towns In U.S.
15. Morgantown, WV - West Virginia
14. South Bend, IN - Notre Dame
13. Gainesville, FL - University of Florida
12. Baton Rouge, LA - Louisiana State University
11. State College, PA - Penn State University
10. Auburn, AL - Auburn University
9. Clemson, SC - Clemson University
8. Tuscaloosa, AL - University of Alabama
7. Knoxville, TN - The University of Tennessee
6. Oxford, MS - Ole Miss
5. Lincoln, NE - University of Nebraska
4. Athens, GA - University of Georgia
3. Ann Arbor, MI - University of Michigan
Bleacher Report says:
Ann Arbor, Michigan—home to the University of Michigan—is already an awesome college town without football in the equation. The university and the city are joined at the hip.....But then you get to the cornerstone of this college town. Michigan Stadium isn't just the largest college football stadium in the entire country, it's the largest stadium by capacity in the entire country. Only one other stadium in the world is bigger than the "Big House." With all that room for rabid Wolverine fans on Saturdays, Ann Arbor turns into a gigantic tailgate and cultural experience when head coach Jim Harbaugh's team is home for the weekend. Harbaugh's arrival and impressive first season with the Wolverines have done nothing but crank up the passion for football Saturdays even more.
2. College Station, TX - Texas A&M
1. Madison, WI - University of Wisconsin