Fansided

College football’s 15 most passionate and loyal fanbases

By John Buhler

Sep 10, 2016; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers fans get ready for the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers fans get ready for the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 17, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith (9) celebrates with students after defeating the USC Trojans 41-31 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 17, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith (9) celebrates with students after defeating the USC Trojans 41-31 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

While the Texas Longhorns have the most valuable brand in college football, the most iconic and largest college football fan base is easily the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame was nationally televised before anybody else. The Fighting Irish’s games are exclusively televised on NBC. No other program in Division I football has the reach of the Irish.

Like Michigan, Notre Dame’s storied football history is a major reason that there are Notre Dame fans in every major metro area in the United States. Being a catholic university, they have a following back in Ireland and really anybody who grew up catholic.

It’s really remarkable how a small, private university in Northern Indiana can have this kind of global reach. Indiana doesn’t have the football players in-state to be a national power, so Notre Dame decided to recruit out-of-state really before anybody else. Notre Dame is a difficult school to get into. Its graduates move to regions of the country and the love of the Irish spreads like wildfire.

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Michigan and USC might be the two brands that have somewhat of a national following, but Notre Dame is the only major football institution that is in every major media market. Everywhere you look there are Notre Dame fans. While the National Championships haven’t been prevalent in the last 30 years, this is the most loyal fanbase in college football hands down.

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