RANKED: The 20 Colleges With The Most Hardcore Sports Fans

Santa Barbara, California

One of the most popular sports at UCSB is soccer and the men's Gauchos team has almost 2,000 season ticket holders.

Students who purchase season tickets receive a UCSB soccer scarf, with the phrases "Gaucho Futbol" and "This is Soccer Heaven" on either side.

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Morgantown, West Virginia

Mountaineers basketball players enter home games on an elaborate blue and gold carpet, which is rolled out before the team enters the WVU Coliseum stadium.

Before joining the Big 12, WVU's biggest rivalry was the "Backyard Brawl" against the University of Pittsburgh.

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Stillwater, Oklahoma

A relatively new tradition at OSU is "Bullet," a black horse that is ridden around Boone Pickens Stadium by the "Spirit Rider."

Bullet and the Spirit Rider appear during the pre-game show and after every Cowboy touchdown.

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Harrisonburg, Virginia

A big part of JMU games is the student entertainment, from the Marching Royal Dukes band to the Dukettes dancers.

The Royal Dukes recently performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, their third time doing so.

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Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State athletes aren't the only ones getting a workout during a Wildcats game.

Student mascot "Willie the Wildcat" — who is chosen annually by the head cheerleading coach and must keep their identity secret — does a push-up for every point K-State scores.

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Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech is one of the few public universities in the country to simultaneously maintain a cadet and civilian student body.

The cadet corps fires off a cannon called "Skipper" before every home football game and whenever the Hokies score.

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Chapel Hill, North Carolina

UNC students take to the streets after big Tar Heel victories, crowding Franklin Street, which is home to many of Chapel Hill's bars.

After UNC won their fifth NCAA basketball championship in 2009, over 45,000 people showed up to celebrate on Franklin Street.

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College Station, Texas

The Texas A&M fanbase is known as the "12th Man," a tradition that started in the 1920s.

To symbolize their readiness to play if needed, the entire student body stands throughout the game.

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State College, Pennsylvania

Every week there is a Penn State home football game, students create a tent city called "Nittanyville" outside of Beaver Stadium.

Since student seating is first-come first serve, many Nittany Lion fans will camp out for days in order to secure front row tickets to a big game.

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Columbus, Ohio

One of the most storied rivalries in collegiate athletics is OSU-Michigan, whose football matchup is the last game of every season.

Typically two of the strongest teams in NCAA football, the game alternates every year between each school's home stadium.

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East Lansing, Michigan

Before every Michigan State home game, the football team takes part in the "Spartan Walk," as they walk across campus into Spartan Stadium.

Michigan State fans line campus streets to cheer on the team, chanting "Go Green! Go White!"

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Los Angeles, California

There is Greek imagery throughout USC fandom, from the "Tommy Trojan" statue to "Traveler," the school's white steed mascot.

Even the school's famous marching band is known as the "Spirit of Troy."

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Madison, Wisconsin

One of the oldest rivalries in college football is between the Badgers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who played their first game in 1890.

The current trophy between the rivals is a giant version of Paul Bunyan's axe, replacing a fake "slab of bacon" that was thought to be lost.

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Gainesville, Florida

Arguably the most recognizable symbol of UF Gator's fandom is the "Gator Chomp," a two-armed motion meant to look like an alligator's mouth.

The Chomp — usually accompanied by music from "Jaws" — can be seen at most every Gators game.

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Bloomington, Indiana

The student section at Indiana basketball games — The Crimson Guard — is considered to be one of the largest fan groups in college sports.

Close to 7,000 students will routinely cheer on the Hoosiers basketball team.

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Austin, Texas

UT Austin is home to one of the most recognizable hand signals in college sports — the Hook 'em Horns.

The gesture is meant to recreate the head and horns of Bevo, a longhorn steer and the UT mascot.

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Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The Crimson Tide's rallying cry of "Roll Tide" has taken on an identity of its own for the UA community, as a source of identification and pride for Bama fans.

The ubiquitous phrase was famously parodied in an ESPN commercial, as part of the network's "It's not crazy, it's sports" campaign.

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Athens, Georgia

Sung to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," UGA's "Glory, Glory" is a classic college football fight song.

A student trumpet soloist performs a slower version of the song before every Bulldogs home game.

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Tallahassee, Florida

FSU's fan section might be best known for their "war chant," which has become as synonymous with the team as their Seminole mascot.

The "war chant" is usually accompanied by the Seminoles' iconic tomahawk chop, where fans repeatedly bend their arm at the elbow to symbolize a tomahawk swinging down.

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