It’s that time of year where everyone’s catching the college football bug. Whether you’re a fan of the game, or just a fan of school spirit, you can’t help but get excited about all the “RA RA” on campuses across the country.
So without further ado, here’s a list of fun facts about the schools in college football’s top 20. If you visit or apply to any one of these school’s, you need not worry about what you’ll be doing on Saturdays:
1. University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)Fun fact-The Oklahoma administration prides itself on the aesthetic appeal of its 3,000 acre campus which has a lot of Native American influence.
2. University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL)
Fun fact-Alabama’s mascot is “Big Al” the Elephant. His origins date back to 1930 when a sports writer heard a fan yell ”Hold your horses, the elephants are coming!” as the first team ran onto the field.
3. Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA)
Fun fact-The school was founded in 1853 as the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning & Military Academy.
4. Boise State University (Boise, ID)
Fun fact-Their football team plays on blue astroturf that is nicknamed “The Smurf Turf.”
5. Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL)
Fun fact-It was declared in 2010 to be a “Budget Ivy” university by the Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right College.
6. Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA)
Fun fact-The College’s official name is The Leland Stanford Junior University and has an endowment of 13.8 billion dollars. Stanford also boasts having 16 Noble Prize winning graduates.
7. University of Wisconsin (Madison, WI)Fun fact-The popular comedic news source “The Onion” was founded by Wisconsin students on campus in 1988.
8. Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)
Fun fact-Historically renowned programs include its College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The College of Engineering is also internationally renowned in the fields of architecture and mechanical engineering.
9. Texas A&M University (College Station, TX)
Fun fact-A&M ranks in the top 20 American research institutes in terms of funding and has made notable contributions to such fields as animal cloning and petroleum engineering.
10. University of Nebraska (Lincoln, NE)
Fun fact-As of 2009, the University’s cafeterias no longer provide trays to the students, a program implemented to reduce organic waste and save money.
11. University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC):
Fun fact-South Carolina has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for its research and engagement,has received a Top-10 ranking from U.S. News & World Report for being “most promising and innovative,” and for decades has received annual recognition for its prestigious undergraduate and graduate International Business programs.
12. University of Oregon (Eugene, OR)
Fun fact-UO is the home of the Oregon Bach Festival, a donor-supported program of the University and the only major music festival affiliated with an American university.
13. Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA)
Fun fact-Tech is one of the few public universities in the United States that maintains a corps of cadets.
14. University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR)
Fun fact-The University of Arkansas recently completed its “Campaign for the 21st Century,” in which the university raised more than $1 billion for the school, used in part to create a new Honors College and significantly increase the university’s endowment.
15. Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)
Fun fact-MSU pioneered the studies of packaging, hospitality business, telecommunication and music therapy. Today its study-abroad program is the largest of any single-campus university in the country, offering more than 200 programs in more than 60 countries on all continents including Antarctica.
16. University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
Fun fact-Florida was ranked second in Kiplinger’s 2009 “Best Buys of Education” (behind the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
17. Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
Fun fact-Students and alumni often refer to OSU as The Ohio State University. “The” is actually an acronym that stands for Tradition, Honor, and Excellence.
18. West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV)
Fun fact-A new Mountaineer Mascot is selected each year during the final two men’s home basketball games. The new Mountaineer receives a scholarship, a tailor-made buckskin suit with coonskin hat, and a period rifle and powder horn. The mascot travels with most sports teams throughout the academic year. While not required, male mascots traditionally grow a beard.
19. Baylor University (Waco, TX)
Fun fact-Baylor was originally founded as a Southern Baptist college by the first Baptist missionaries in Texas.
20. University of South Florida (Tampa, FL)
Fun fact-USF is one of the nation’s top centers for the advancement in research of treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases.
Have you been watching college football? Who are you rooting for?