College football has a big fan following. The game is fun to watch and is often played at a nearly professional level, with some players moving on to make it in the NFL and other leagues. College football teams have serious fan bases and get a good amount of TV time, but some of them truly rise to the top when it comes to popularity. Here are the most popular college football teams in the United States.
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University Of Michigan
One easy way to tell how popular a college football team has become is by considering the capacity of their stadium. The University of Michigan, located in Ann Arbor, MI, is home to “The Big House,” which is the largest capacity college football stadium in the country, with just over 107,000 seats. To be fair, their stadium barely edges out several others, but the need for so many seats illustrates the immense popularity of the team and football in Michigan. For reference, the college football stadium is bigger than the Detroit Lions NFL stadium, Ford Field, which has a seating capacity of around 80,000.
How good are the Wolverines? Well, they won the 2023 College Football National Championships with quarterback JJ McCarthy leading the team through an undefeated 15-0 season while running over Washington 34-13 in the title game.
Michigan’s popularity has also helped set television viewership records. The battle between Michigan and Ohio State was one of the most viewed college football games ever. Betting numbers and opportunities had to be fantastic for this game, especially among bettors who found a trusted method of payment to make secure wagers.
Ohio State
Ohio State University and the University of Michigan are only about three hours apart and have stadiums that are pretty close in terms of capacity, with Ohio’s stadium seating just over 102,000. The stadium is affectionately known as “The Shoe” because the seating arrangement resembles a large horseshoe. Built in 1922, the stadium is also on the National Registry of Historic Places, though rival University of Michigan has the same claim.
The Buckeye’s popularity is still way up there. The recent Rose Bowl between Ohio State and Oregon drew record-breaking viewership as the Buckeyes took down the Ducks. In a not-very-scientific measurement, Ohio State earns the title of the most popular team in college football. However, it was done by voting through a website and could undoubtedly be a bit subjective. Still, Ohio State football attracts many eyes, and the team has consistently played football at a high enough level; many NFL stars, including Terry McLaurin, Nick Bosa, and Chase Young, played for the school. College football fans can expect to see many more border battles between Ohio State and Michigan, both with their college teams and when their players reach the NFL.
Alabama
A review of the popularity of college football cannot be complete without including at least one team from the South. The Alabama Crimson Tide is arguably one of the more popular teams in the country and is growing international as well. Locally, the Crimson Tide can attract quite a crowd, with Bryant-Denny Stadium capable of handling just over 100,000 people for a team that has earned 18 national titles throughout its history, including one as recently as 2020.
Texas A&M
To be totally fair here, there are two very popular teams in Texas. Texas A&M, which stands for agricultural and mechanical, recently took the top spot in Texas from the University of Texas in a poll, though the idea of an “A&M” state doesn’t sound as good as the “Longhorn” state. Some of this may come from rooting for a slight underdog, as the team hasn’t won a major national championship for quite a while. The University of Texas, on the other hand, has won multiple national titles this decade. Texas A&M still attracts a fervent base of fans and has a very long, storied rivalry with the University of Texas.
University Of Texas
Despite taking second place in the same poll, the University of Texas definitely enjoys significant popularity within Texas and nationally. After all, there is a reason why Texas has multiple NFL teams, and the series and movie Friday Night Lights is about Texas high school football – they live for pigskin. The university has produced the legendary kicker Justin Tucker and relatively new-to-the-NFL running back Bijan Robinson.
Georgia
While Texas, Ohio, and Michigan have their television popularity, Georgia has recently taken over the Nielsen ratings and beat them all. The team has won four national titles in its long history and has had several recent NFL players, including Ladd McConkey of the Chargers and Matthew Stafford, who played for the Lions before joining the Rams. Georgia definitely produces NFL-caliber players, so it’s no surprise to see them as one of the most popular teams.
Conclusion
The most popular college football teams have recently earned record-breaking viewership numbers, especially for rivalries, championships, and bowl games. College football has grown in popularity in part because of tradition but also because college football players have become outstanding athletes, some of who are ready for the NFL. Viewers and students should continue to look forward to some legendary games at historic stadiums as the tradition of college football continues.
