There’s nothing quite like the energy, emotion, pageantry and good ol’ fashioned fun that takes place every fall weekend at college football games.
There are time-honored traditions that date back many decades. There are century-old marching bands and pulsating techno hits. There are rampaging animals, covered wagons, antique cars and even storied rocks. There are quaint customs and there are controversies — it wouldn’t be college football without controversy, right?
With another season upon us, we’ve gathered a collection of our college football reporters’ favorite game-day traditions. We were looking for moments fans could count on and look forward to experiencing every time they go to the stadium, so we didn’t include celebrations of a win or rivalry moments that may happen only once every other year or so.
And by no means are we ranking these traditions or labeling these «better» than some that we surely left out. Every school has its own quirks and unique features that are near and dear to that team and its fans. But here’s a sampling of the wild, wacky, wonderful ways that college football strikes a special chord in the sports landscape.
Dramatic entrances
Osceola and Renegade planting the spear, Florida State: Since September 1978, Osceola has led his horse, Renegade, onto the field before kickoff of every Florida State home game and planted a spear at midfield in what has become one of the best-known college football entrances. Bill Durham, an FSU graduate, came up with the idea and got approval from the Seminole Tribe of Florida for the practice to begin. The Durham family continues to provide the Appaloosa horse that is used, and Osceola wears regalia that is authentic to the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Watching Osceola rear Renegade up on his hind legs to plant the flaming spear with 80,000 fans chanting is truly a sight to see. — Andrea Adelson
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— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 17, 2024
The Bounce House, UCF. After UCF scored its first touchdown at its new on-campus stadium on Sept. 17, 2007 — against Texas, no less — rollicking club hit «Kernkraft 400» by Zombie Nation blared from the speakers. Spontaneously, the crowd started jumping wildly, causing the stadium to vibrate and «bounce.» Thus, the birth of not only a tradition but a stadium nickname. Now the song is played multiple times during games and serves as a way to get everyone fired up, with the crowd chanting along and cheering «U-C-F!» — Adelson
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«Sweet Caroline,» Pitt. Back in 2008, former Pitt football player Justin Acierno was working at the school and tasked with improving the student fan experience during games. What would keep them interested? With the help of student organizations and athletic department employees, they came up with a plan: Play Neil Diamond’s 1969 classic «Sweet Caroline» at the end of the third quarter of football games. The plan worked. Acierno made sure some of the lyrics were more Pitt friendly — subbing in «Let’s Go Pitt» during the chorus. The sing-along first happened against Buffalo in Week 2 of the 2008 season, and the rest is history. — Adelson
«Sandstorm,» South Carolina: It’s certainly not unusual to hear the techno instrumental song «Sandstorm» by Finnish DJ Darude at a sporting event, but South Carolina has staked a special claim to it in the world of college football. The connection can be traced to Sept. 24, 2009, when the Gamecocks were hosting No. 4 Ole Miss. With time winding down and South Carolina leading 16-10, and the Rebels facing a key third down, the pulsating beat blasted throughout Williams-Brice Stadium, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. «A rave breaks out in Columbia,» ESPN announcer Chris Fowler said as fans and players jumped and gyrated. The Gamecocks got that stop, «Sandstorm» roared again, Ole Miss failed on fourth down, and the upset — and new tradition — were sealed. Now anywhere South Carolina folks gather, you can expect to hear the anthem, and Darude himself appeared at Willy B to perform it for a game against Kentucky in 2023. — Steve Richards
even after death. Ohio State’s band has its own memorable spin on the state name, spelling out Ohio in script form at home games, and then inviting a senior sousaphone player to high-step and dot the i, before bowing to all four sides of Ohio Stadium. The Ohio State Marching Band, or The Best Damn Band in the Land, began doing script Ohio and dotting the i during the 1938 season, and it remains one of the most electric moments during Buckeyes home games. — Rittenberg
Stanford Band halftime show, Stanford: Very few things are off limits for the Stanford Band, known for its irreverent and sometimes controversial halftime performances. The shift away from a traditional band began in 1963, after its longtime director was dismissed. The band went on strike for the first two games of the football season. The new director leaned into the culture of the era, allowing students to play rock ‘n’ roll songs, «scatter» to get into place as opposed to traditional marching, and script humorous formations that often served as punchlines, social commentary or poked fun at opponents. The Stanford Band has drawn ire and/or been disciplined for, among other things, ridiculing UCLA, Catholicism (Notre Dame), Mormonism (BYU) and the spotted owl (Oregon). — Adelson
The MOB, Rice: The Stanford Band has a kindred spirit in Rice’s MOB (the Marching Owl Band), which is a small but mighty and scrappy group that, like Stanford, uses brainpower to take aim at opponents. In 1973, the MOB mocked two Texas A&M institutions: the Aggie Band’s military style (the MOB goose-stepped in imitation) and beloved mascot Reveille (forming a fire hydrant while playing «Oh Where, Oh Where, Has My Little Dog Gone?»). Band members were cornered in a supply closet by angry Aggies and had to be rescued by a box truck backed up to its doors. In 2007, they were reprimanded by Conference USA for a halftime skit called «Todd Graham’s Inferno,» whereupon band members searched through the circles of hell for the coach who had just left Rice for Tulsa after one successful season. Wherever sacred cows are found, the MOB will look to make ground beef. — Wilson
Marching 100, Florida A&M: When you take a trip to the «highest of seven hills» for a football game, you can expect a spectacular performance by the world-renowned Marching 100. Halftime performances start with their signature «Slow One,» as each band member holds one leg up at a 90-degree angle and slowly switches legs. The 100 then quickens the pace, followed by the band filling the field as the show begins. The band was founded in 1892 by Dr. William P. Foster and has grown to be one of the world’s most recognizable marching bands. From Paris Fashion Week to multiple Super Bowls to two presidential inauguration parades, the 100 has been seen far and wide, but the ultimate experience happens at Bragg Stadium in Tallahassee. — Erika Leflouria
Sonic Boom of the South, Jackson State: As soon as you step foot inside Mississippi Veterans Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi, you can’t help but notice the rumbling from the bass drums, followed by the funky rhythm of The Temptations’ «Get Ready» from the Jackson State marching band to get fans’ pom-poms going. Fans arrive at the stadium ahead of time to witness the Sonic Boom take part in a Zero Quarter battle of the bands against the visiting unit, an HBCU pregame staple. Following the presentation of the colors, the band rocks the stadium with its trademark tune «We Came To Play» by Tower of Power. The Sonic Boom’s halftime performances are the main attraction, however, wowing fans with their signature «Tiger Run-On» and «JSU Rocks the House» fanfare. — Kalan Hooks
Animal planet
Ralphie’s Run, Colorado: Live animal mascots aren’t as common as they used to be in college football, but Colorado’s Ralphie remains an iconic presence before games at Folsom Field. Colorado selected Ralphie as its official mascot in 1966 and the next year, she began running around the field to lead the Buffaloes out of their tunnel. A group of Ralphie handlers make the U-shaped run with the bison, who ends up in a trailer near the visitors locker room. There have been six Ralphies, always female bison, which live on a ranch in an undisclosed location. — Rittenberg
Here Comes Bullet, Oklahoma State: Since 1988, Bullet, a black horse, has galloped onto the field following every Cowboys touchdown, carrying a spirit rider waving an Oklahoma State flag. The first of four horses who’ve since served as Bullet got plenty of work. In 1988, Barry Sanders won the Heisman Trophy while scoring an NCAA-record 44 touchdowns. — Jake Trotter
Flight of the Eagle, Auburn: In a tradition that goes back to the start of the 2000 season, an eagle with a 6½-foot wingspan majestically circles Jordan-Hare Stadium as the fans chant «Warrrrrrrrr» until it lands at midfield, then they finish with «Eagle!» There have been several eagles over the years performing the flight, and right now, there are two sharing the duties. And no, War Eagle is not the Auburn mascot. It’s the school’s battle cry that dates back to a Civil War veteran. — Low
Blaster the Burro, Colorado School of Mines: Since the 1990s, the Orediggers have brought out a live donkey to celebrate after every touchdown by the home team at Marv Kay Stadium. A member of the university’s Blue Key Honor Society will run alongside Blaster the Burro to the 50-yard line to celebrate the team’s score. Spoiler: There are two donkeys that carry the duty of Blaster; Winkie is the runner burro that you’ll see on game days, while Pepsi is the burro used for special university events. — Leflouria
Big fun at smaller schools
The Cannon, Toledo. Before each home game, at the end of each half and after every Toledo score, a Civil War-era model cannon is fired off. The tradition began in 1966, when a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity saw a cannon fired at a Texas game and decided to take the idea to Toledo. According to the school, another member of the fraternity «bartered his cannon for fraternity dues.» That cannon was in use until it was replaced in 2010. To this day, members of Pi Kappa Phi are responsible for operating the cannon during games. — Adelson
Purple Haze, East Carolina: It doesn’t get the pub of some of the other grand entrances in college football, but being there live to see East Carolina’s players racing onto the field at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium through a giant pirate skull amid clouds of purple smoke with Jimi Hendrix’s «Purple Haze» blaring on the jumbotron and a video of pirate ships waving ECU skull and crossbones flags and shooting off cannons on the high seas is about as cool as it gets. Jimi Hendrix and college football mixed together? That’s pure nirvana. — Low
Gone (sort of) but not forgotten
Red balloons, Nebraska: Since the 1960s, Husker fans would release red balloons after Nebraska’s first touchdown, turning the Lincoln sky into a sea of red. Due to a helium shortage, the school discontinued the tradition in 2022. But last season, Nebraska brought the balloon release back for its game against Colorado. Going forward, amid criticism for the impact the balloons have on the environment, Nebraska plans to hold the balloon release for select games only. — Trotter
Hand signs for Texas schools: At Texas, they Hook ‘Em with the index and pinky fingers. At Texas A&M, they Gig ‘Em with the thumb. SMU has two fingers up, the V for victory, which later became pony ears. Houston adds a middle finger to Texas’ sign to make a cougar paw — «unofficially, it indicates the students’ attitude toward UT,» Texas Monthly once wrote. At Texas Tech, they extend the thumb and index finger for Guns Up. TCU raises the first two fingers then bends the tips down, allegedly to look like the horns of the Horned Frog. Baylor fans make a bear claw to Sic ‘Em. Of the nine former Southwest Conference schools only Rice and Arkansas didn’t have hand signs. But the one they all had in common was turning Texas’ horns upside down. R.I.P. to the SWC. — Wilson
Playing with food
The State Fair of Texas and a Fletcher’s Corny Dog, Texas-Oklahoma: Texas and Oklahoma fans don’t share much affinity for each other, but they both agree that their annual rivalry game boasts the best setting in college football — the center of the State Fair of Texas. There’s a mutual respect for each other on the Midway that isn’t shared inside the stadium — fans in Baker Mayfield jerseys riding the 212-foot-tall Texas Star Ferris wheel with those in Colt McCoy’s threads. And it’s not game day without a Fletcher’s Corny Dog, who originated the battered and fried hot dog on a stick in 1942 and now sell more than half a million of them each year during the fair’s 24-day run. — Wilson
Tortilla toss, Texas Tech: Nobody seems to know for sure how and when it started, but since at least the late 1980s, Texas Tech students have been throwing tortillas onto the field after the opening kickoff. The university doesn’t endorse this tradition. But that hasn’t stopped the Red Raider faithful from slinging tortillas all around Jones Stadium. — Trotter
‘Greatest show in college sports’
White Out, Penn State: One of the best scenes in college football, for the biggest home night game of the season, is a White Out at Happy Valley. For the past two decades, Penn State fans dress in all white, creating a sea of white — and bedlam — throughout 106,572-seat Beaver Stadium. It’s an intimidating environment for the opposition and one of those experiences in college football that nobody can duplicate. Penn State has dubbed its White Out as the «greatest show in college sports.» This season’s is Sept. 27 against Oregon. — Low
The total package
Saturday night at Tiger Stadium, LSU: Where do you start when it comes to taking in an LSU football game? The tailgating, in particular the scrumptious food (jambalaya, gumbo and shrimp po’boys, all out of this world). And, yes, there are always beverage options available. The wardrobes and Mardi Gras beads are unlike anything else you’ll find in college football, and no trip to LSU is complete without visiting Mike the Tiger in his sprawling digs. And then there’s the Golden Band From Tigerland and those first four notes before breaking full bore into «Hold That Tiger.» It all adds up to college football pageantry at its finest. — Low
