These Southern Universities Have the Rowdiest Football Crowds and the Most School Spirit

University of Alabama Crimson Tide

When it comes to college football, there isn’t a team more synonymous with passion than the University of Alabama. Named the Crimson Tide after the red mud that covered the Birmingham field during early games, Alabama also has a famous chant that fans all over the world recognize in Roll Tide.

It’s hard to imagine what mascot would pair up with the Tide, but interestingly enough, an elephant is the mascot for Alabama. This comes from a story published by the Atlanta Journal in 1930 when a writer saw the eleven players on the field for the first time and was amazed by their size. It’s suggested that a fan yelled that the elephants were coming, and a mascot was born. The elephant made its first debut in the Sugar Bowl in 1979 with the name of Big Al.

The playing field is named after the university’s long-time successful coach Nick Saban, who retired at the end of the 2023 season. The stadium holds over 100,000 people who fill it every week to scream and cheer for the team.

The student paper reports that some students wear their hair the same every game for luck, while others believe the outfit is where the luck is at. Some eat the same nachos during the fourth quarter and many do the same chant before every third down. It’s safe to say that football fans are superstitious and with 18 national championship titles, Alabama fans may be doing something right.

Auburn University Tigers

Auburn University is another Alabama team that inspires passion, spirit, and tradition. As the Tigers since the first football team formed in 1892, their official mascot is Aubie the Tiger. This can be confusing because the team’s battle cry is “War Eagle,” and Auburn fans say they are the tigers who yell “War Eagle” but never the eagles.

Before every game, the team walks to the Jordan-Hare Stadium from the Athletics Complex, a tradition that started in the 60s when community members and kids could walk by and get the team’s autographs. After a Tigers win, the trees at Toomer’s Corner are covered in toilet paper in a prank known as rolling Toomer’s.

One of the best traditions of Auburn football is the pre-game ritual. Before every home game, the crowd of 88,000 gets to witness the majestic beauty of an eagle in flight.

Louisiana State University Tigers

Another member of the SEC with the Tiger mascot, Louisiana State University has bred professional athletes like Joe Burrow, who was drafted first in 2020 by the Cincinnati Bengals. LSU takes its football just as seriously as the neighbors in Alabama. Located in Baton Rouge, the athletes are known as the Lady Tigers, Fighting Tigers, or just simply the Tigers.

The team’s mascot is Mike the Tiger, and it’s said that for every one of Mike’s roars on game day, the team will score a touchdown. Mike is named after the first athletic trainer employed after the mascot was purchased. Students often attempt to take a picture with Mike on graduation day, and when a new mascot is adopted, the school has a special ceremony. LSU’s vet program locates a new tiger and blows white smoke from their building.

LSU students have special reference for jersey numbers 7 and 18 and 7 is given to the best player from the state of Louisiana. Before the games, the band plays the “Pregame Salute” while the coaches, football team, dancers, and flag twirlers march to Tiger Stadium from Victory Hill. The school also paints the crossbar with the word “WIN” and each player hits the bar on their way to the field.

One interesting fact about LSU is that it has five-yard yard lines and H-style goalposts.

Ole Miss Rebels

Known formally as the University of Mississippi, Ole Miss is actually in Oxford. It’s the state’s oldest higher-education public institution and has some serious football fans. One of the most famous traditions to come out of Ole Miss is the “Hotty Toddy” cheer. Most students and fans know the cheer, and it’s recited at every home game when the crowd is asked if they’re ready.

The team also does the Walk of Champions, where the team and coaches walk on a brick sidewalk to Vaught Hemingway Stadium from The Grove. Fans from all over line the path and cheer the team on. The night before a game, fans set up tailgating parties in The Grove with cocktails, fine food, satellite TVs, and oddly enough, chandeliers.

After scoring touchdowns or forcing turnovers, Ole Miss football players dunk on the basketball hoop, whether it’s a home or an away game. When the Ole Miss football team takes the field, all students lock arms with those next to them and sway back and forth, a tradition known as “Locking the Vaught.”

Texas Longhorns

The University of Texas may be situated a bit west of their SEC rivals, but they take their football just as seriously. Those who’ve attended games call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the historic Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The stadium itself is dedicated to United States military veterans and has seen more than 100 seasons of football.

The team’s mascot is Bevo the Longhorn, and he’s featured heavily throughout game days. Fans can line up for the Stadium Stampede when he enters the stadium with the marching band. He spends the game in the south end zone in the right-hand corner, and it’s believed that his presence inspires the team.

Texas has its own street dedicated to the tailgating experience, known as Bevo Boulevard (obviously named after the mascot). The party kicks off hours before the game starts, and the players enter through the area. This gives fans a chance to get some delicious central Texas food and cheer the players on before they hit the field.

During important parts of the game, the school sets off a 1,200-pound artillery cannon from the south end zone. It’s fired at the end of every quarter, score, and kickoff, so don’t sit in the area if you’re naturally jumpy. It’s a Texas tradition performed by real Texas cowboys. The school also has its own version of the wave, where one-half of the student section will randomly yell “Texas” while the other half responds with “Fight.”

Tennessee Volunteers

Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Volunteers play at Neyland Stadium, which seats more than 101,000 people. The team got the mascot from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution when way back in 1902, a writer coined it. The nickname refers to the fact that many soldiers from the state volunteered to fight in the War of Texas Independence and the War of 1812. The school’s physical mascots are Davy Crockett, and Smokey the Bluetick coonhound.

The Tennessee River is located near the stadium, and tailgaters bring over 200 boats to the area to celebrate. Before every game, the school paints a big rock orange and white, and it stands as a place for students to share their feelings, artistic abilities, and thoughts.

Every game day, the Volunteer and Smokey lead the football team to the stadium gates down Peyton Manning Pass in the infamous Vol Walk. The stadium has a checkerboard endzone and during one game each season, the fans alternate orange and white in each section to make the stands match.

After every touchdown, Smokey the mascot runs down the sidelines to pump up fans and increase the energy.

Florida Gators

The University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida, and is always one of the powerhouse teams of the SEC. Home to more than 33,000 students, the community rallies behind the university in every sport, but especially in football country.

Albert and Alberta are the team’s mascots. Obviously gators, they wear matching attire and represent American alligators, an animal commonly found in Florida.

Whenever the team’s defense gets to a third down, fans begin rubbing their fingers together in a signal for making money. The words “money down” are shown on the jumbotron while the crowd participates. Like most teams, the Gators perform a game day walk and greet fans on their way to the stadium, known as a Gator Walk.

There is a gator head that sits between the playing field and the locker room and it’s considered sacred. Before any player, staff member, or coach enters the field, tradition says they must touch the gator’s head.

If you attend a Gator game, you may hear the crowd perform the two-bit chant. Supporters yell out “Two Bits! Four Bits! Six Bits! A Dollar! All for the Gators, stand up and holler!” The chant was started spontaneously in 1949 by a fan who wanted to pump the team up after a difficult season. He was a veteran named George Edmonson and bought season tickets for decades after his first game. The school even asked him to lead the crowds in the chant before each game from midfield.

Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs are another extremely powerful SEC team that has won four national championships, most recently in 2021 and 2022. Located in Athens, Georgia, Bulldog Nation in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. Sanford Stadium holds more than 92,000 fans and is surrounded by iconic green hedges used to identify the stadium.

Before every game, the fans love to “call the dawgs.” During the kickoff, the fans yell “Go Dawgs, Sic ’em! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!” One goosebump-inspiring tradition the Bulldogs honor is before the game. The Redcoat Band enters the field, leaving one trumpet player in the South Deck. The trumpeter starts the Battle Hymn of the Republic and the complete student sections point their way. After the solo, a highlight reel of Bulldog football is played.

Fans turn on their phone flashlights early in the fourth quarter. They wave four fingers of the opposite hand while swaying their lights in the air. Before the game, tailgating starts early as more than 100,000 set up to party. Every time the team wins a home game, fans rush to the Chapel Bell to ring it and celebrate.