College football's most annoying fans revealed in new poll
Integral to the college football experience isn't just winning or losing games or playing for the national title, but the sheer irrational, visceral, and time-honored hatred that fans of one school have for another. It's as American as apple pie.
Ohio State hates Michigan, and the feeling is mutual. The same for Alabama and Auburn. And for Texas and Oklahoma. Or for USC and Notre Dame. And any number of other rivalries across the country from Harvard and Yale to Army vs. Navy.
Now as a historic 2024 college football season approaches, and in the midst of a national election, the voice of the people has put a finer point on which schools and their fan bases have earned the most ire from football-lovers from around the country.
In a survey taken from over 2,000 fans, Sportshandle revealed the school whose supporters bother people the most, and that honor goes to... the Alabama Crimson Tide.
A full 22 percent of respondents said the Bama faithful were the most annoying people in college football, with Ohio State following at 14 percent of those polled, and national champion Michigan placed third at 9 percent.
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The feeling was just about evenly-distributed, with fans of both sexes, all age groups, the married, the single, and those from every part of the country agreed: Alabama bugs them the most.
Winning a lot probably has something to do with it. No other program has dominated college football so much as the Crimson Tide in the 21st century under the leadership of Nick Saban.
Alabama won six national championships under his leadership, produced a small village of NFL Draft picks, and handed out a remarkable share of statement wins against any and all comers.
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Perhaps unsurprisingly, opinion in the South on this subject was the strongest. There, 30 percent of fans polled said they found Alabama to be the most annoying fan base in the country.
Southerners said Ohio State was the second-most annoying at 9 percent, followed by incoming SEC member Texas at 8 percent and Florida at 7 percent.
In the Midwest, the annoyance was also more local. Ohio State came in first with 23 percent of respondents, with Michigan a close second at 18 percent, and Alabama came in third with 17 percent of fans' exasperation.
The full list: College football's most annoying fans
Alabama: 22%
Ohio State: 14%
Michigan: 9%
Notre Dame: 8%
Texas: 7%
Florida: 5%
Miami (FL): 5%
Florida State: 4%
USC: 4%
Penn State: 4%
Clemson: 3%
Georgia: 3%
Oklahoma: 2%
Auburn: 2%
Colorado: 2%
Others: 4%
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JAMES PARKS
James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.