School football is a unique world within the sports industry. The heat of competition combines with the honor of one’s alma mater. The college football team may become a jump-start for a career in sport or just a page in a rich history of a student.
In one way or another, school football collects many funny stories and curious situations. There are a lot of rumors surrounding football players like they always need mathematics homework help or compete for the most attractive cheer-leader.
Let rumors be rumors. In the following list, we collected funny and interesting stories related to the US’s most popular college football teams. These facts include significant dates, curious situations, and stories behind universities’ mascots.
The tradition of homecoming is widely spread in US colleges and high schools. Returning to the home school and familiar places is always a thrilling experience. The college of Missouri takes credit for the creation of this tradition.
Homecoming began in 1911 when athletic coach Jester Brewer invited alumni to “come home” for a big game against the team of Kansas.
Ohio contributed to the homecoming tradition as well. In 1926, Maudine Ormsby became the homecoming queen. Some of the students were disappointed, naturally. The most interesting fact is that Maudine was a cow.
The college football team of Georgia had an interesting story behind its name. Before becoming Bulldogs, Georgia’s first unofficial mascot was a goat. In the first intercollegiate game against the team of Auburn, in 1926, the team of Georgia introduced a goat as their luck talisman.
However, the team acquired the name “Bulldogs” weirdly also. Morgan Blake wrote in the November issue of the Atlanta Constitution from 1920 that “The Georgia Bulldogs” would be a fitting name for the college team. Then, Cliff Wheatley used Bulldogs in his article five times after a tie game against Virginia.
From that point, Bulldogs stuck with the team for years to come.
Virginia Tech is another bright example of curious naming. The nickname of the football team changed with the college’s name. First, it was Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College. Then, the name changed for Virginia Agricultural College and Polytechnic Institute.
Finally, the name settled with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Institute. You know this college by the name Virginia Tech. The football team started as “Fighting Gobblers.” The next nickname of the team was “Hokies.”
It will not be a big surprise if, after a while, we will know the team like Virginia Tech Turkeys.
Football of Oklahoma started long before this land received statehood. John Harts started the football program in 1895. Meanwhile, Oklahoma became an official state only in1907. The football team preceded the official statehood of Oklahoma in twelve years.
The fun fact about Wisconsin comes not from the football team but its fans. Students of Wisconsin took the ritual of wave to a whole new level. There are several complex steps, instead of regular standing up at the right moment:
Performing such complex support deserves the same praise and masterful football play.
John Paul II held a mass for 75000 people in 1987 as a part of his American tour. Sun Devil Stadium was the place for holding the mass. The organizers had to cover all Sun Devil logos and every mention of “Devil” on the stadium’s facade. All these preparations were necessary to make the stadium a proper place for a holy mass.
The team of Wake Forest steps in the holy domain and curious naming. The original team’s name was “Fighting Baptists” due to the association with the Baptists Convention.
However, in 1923, another controversy joined the team’s name. After a particularly fierce game against the Duke Blue Devils, a reporter wrote that the Deacons “fought like Demons.” This hellish mixup created the current name of the team, “Demon Deacons.”
Many universities have animals as talismans. However, LSU may compete for the title of the most extravagant one. Mike the Tiger is a living tiger that serves as football’s team talisman. Before home games, the cage with a tiger is placed near the locker room of the opposing team.
Therefore, LSU’s opponents have to pass through Mike to get on the field.
The letter “V” is a common sign on a sport’s uniform. The team of Fresno State wears green V letters on their helmets too. However, their V stands not for victory. Instead of accumulating luck, the symbol praises the San Joaquin Vally agriculture. The industry provides generous financial support for Fresno State.
As a result, V stands for the agricultural valley.
The following facts do not belong to a particular college or state but are a part of college football as a whole.
The most musical stadium is Cotton Bowl. Elvis had gathered more than 25 000 people in 1956 in the stadium. Besides, Cotton Bowl was featured in music videos of Aerosmith, Poison, and Journey.
The first game of the Orange Bowl was in 1935. The University of Miami competed with Manhattan College. Students of the MC took a three-day boat ride to Miami to save the money for the road.
The very first college football match was in 1869. The game was between Princeton and Rutgers University. Each team had 25 players, and rules forbid forward passes. Rutgers won with a score of 6:4.
The world of college football is full of interesting and curious situations. It is closely related to the nation’s history and culture. Wins and losses of a college football team are wins and losses of all people who support them.
Fun facts about college football are fun facts that unite teams, cities, and even generations.