College Football
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College Football Conferences
College football teams are divided into conferences based on geography. The teams in a single grouping play each other in a series of games leading to conference championships at the end of the season. NCAA Division I schools are divided into the following conferences:
ACC
Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest.
Big East
Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Florida, Syracuse, and West Virginia
Big Ten
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, and Wisconsin
Big 12
North: Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, and Nebraska
South: Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech
Conference USA
East: UAB, UCF, East Carolina, Marshall, Memphis, and Southern Miss
West: Houston, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa, and UTEP
MAC
East: Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami University, and Ohio
West: Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo, and Western Michigan
Mountain West
Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, TCU, UNLV, Utah, and Wyoming
Pac Ten
Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, and Washington State
SEC
East: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt
West: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, and Miss State
Sun Belt
Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, MTSU, North Texas, Troy, UL Lafayette, and UL Monroe
WAC
Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, New Mexico State, San Jose State, and Utah State
Independents'
Army, Navy, Notre Dame, and Temple
At the end of the season, teams from different conferences are invited to play in bowl games based on their records. The Bowl Championship Series is also used to determine a national champion. The Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Alamo Bowl, and Gator Bowl are just a few of the post-season match-ups.
Game Day
Tickets
Colleges encourage current students to show their support by offering student ticket packages at reduced rates. Students sit in a designated section where spirits are high, so even those who aren't big fans of the game can get caught up in the excitement. Look for a mailing from your school at the start of each semester, or visit the sports department's website for additional information.
Getting Ready
School colors are a necessity on game day. Visit your student book store for the biggest selection of spirit items from t-shirts and sweatshirts to accessories like pom-poms and facepaint. However, when you're in a college town, you can find spirit clothing in just about any local store.
Since college football is played in open-air stadiums, it's important to dress for the weather. If you're in northern states, this may mean wearing thermal underwear and mittens to November games, while Southern students will need to remember their hats and sunscreen.
Tailgating
Tailgating is a fun tradition on many campuses. The original idea of tailgating involves arriving early for a game, putting down the tailgate of your truck and using that space as a place to serve food and drinks. However, a tailgate certainly isn't a necessity to engage in the pre-game celebration. Some fans like to gather with a few friends and some drinks, sitting on plastic chairs while they soak up the atmosphere. Others park the RV, fire up the grill, and provide their own sound systems for an outdoor party.
If you'd like to participate in tailgating on your campus, check with your university for rules and regulations. Does you school require you to have a ticket to the game to enter tailgating areas? Some schools provide designated tailgating areas with set arrival times and parking fees. Local law dictates permitted alcohol use. However, with underage drinking a concern, common sources like kegs are likely to be banned.
Rivalries
Almost every school has a team considered the big rival. The rival will usually be a team in the same conference to ensure a yearly showdown. If you have friends who attend a rival school, this can be a great time to visit, even if they are cheering for the “wrong” team.
NCAA Football Online
Some popular sites for keeping up on all the latest college football action include:
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