Big Ten Fan Bases

[Bradr]

With all the talk of conference re-alignment, I started thinking about new rivals and specifically their fan bases. We have all heard stories of the good, bad, and ugly fan bases in the big 12.

 

But what about the Big 10?

 

As far as fan bases go, do any of their fans have a reputation that precedes them for things like hospitality, tailgating, rudeness, class, etc? Also, does anyone have any opinions or personal experience with fan bases in the Big 10?

[schuhbdoo]

With all the talk of conference re-alignment, I started thinking about new rivals and specifically their fan bases. We have all heard stories of the good, bad, and ugly fan bases in the big 12.

 

But what about the Big 10?

 

As far as fan bases go, do any of their fans have a reputation that precedes them for things like hospitality, tailgating, rudeness, class, etc? Also, does anyone have any opinions or personal experience with fan bases in the Big 10?

 

 

I have some friends that live out here in Cali and are from Big 10 schools. Penn St is one of them. He travels to see a game or two every year back in happy valley. They are very loyal and would be a great future rival. When they all show up for a white out in happy valley, it is cool. Another friend is from Michigan St. Very loyal even though they have never really been a top 25 football school. The Michigan St guy has a straight up bet every year with the Penn St. guy even though Penn St is usually favored by a lot. Both guys are very loyal to their teams but respectable of opposing teams. I ran into a lot of Ohio State fans when they played out here in January. Great fans that are respectful of the opposing teams.

 

I think playing Michigan, Ohio St, Penn State every year will open us up to those recruiting bases too. We still can recruit Texas, Florida and Cali but get to show the upper midwest we are for real too.

 

If this happens, I think NU benefits in the short and long run.

[RockyMountainOySker]

I have had many interactions with a number of Big 10 schools living in Chicago. Here are my opinions:

 

Penn State - good fans. know their stuff and come out in droves. very loyal.

Wisconsin - good fans but care as much about drinking as their team. I actually love Wisconsin fans. I've had great times during my trips to Madison and the Wisconsin women in Chicago are amazing.

Iowa - very passionate but seem to think they are better than they really are. good fans though.

Northwestern - who cares really

Minnesota - very passionate and hope to god their team is good even though deep down they know they suck. good fans.

Michigan State - great fans that love to drink. similar to Wisconsin fans. I've been to East Lansing a few times now and I love how they come out for games. They only really care about beating Michigan.

Illinois - not really a big fan of these guys. Not terrible but they seem to have this sense of entitlement - more so in basketball than football. Tend to think they are better and other people care about more than they really are/do.

Indiana - very passionate but their team sucks and probably always will.

Purdue - not much experience with Purdue "fans." I know a bunch of Purdue people but no cares that much about any sport...a little basketball but that was just b/c there were very good this year.

 

 

The following two fanbases suck:

 

Ohio State - there are so many of these efers in Chicago and they are so fricking annoying. The most passionate fans tend to be the ones that didn't go to the school. Ohio, Miami of Ohio, Marshall, etc. all bleed Ohio State crimson. I get text messages from some every Saturday saying how their team is so good. Every single one has a bs sense of entitlement...I hate them the most (sorry Manhattan).

Michigan - smug, arrogant, think they know it all from politics to water polo to football. Not really much else to say.

[huKSer]

With all the talk of conference re-alignment, I started thinking about new rivals and specifically their fan bases. We have all heard stories of the good, bad, and ugly fan bases in the big 12.

 

But what about the Big 10?

 

As far as fan bases go, do any of their fans have a reputation that precedes them for things like hospitality, tailgating, rudeness, class, etc? Also, does anyone have any opinions or personal experience with fan bases in the Big 10?

Ask Cy what he thinks of Iowa fans

[Blackshirt316]

Sorry but Penn State fans are horrible. They have the arrogantness of Notre Dame and the behavior of Colorado rolled right into one fanbase.

[Caven]

My thoughts in red.

 

I have had many interactions with a number of Big 10 schools living in Chicago. Here are my opinions:

 

Penn State - good fans. know their stuff and come out in droves. very loyal. I would agree with this. I have not actually been there but the Penn State fans I have met and talked with seemed very nice.

Wisconsin - good fans but care as much about drinking as their team. I actually love Wisconsin fans. I've had great times during my trips to Madison and the Wisconsin women in Chicago are amazing. Going to Wisconsin can be a bit rough depending on how they are doing in any given year. If they are having a down year they are very nice but if they are in the thick of things it can bring out some rudeness to visitors

 

Iowa - very passionate but seem to think they are better than they really are. good fans though. WE ROCK!!! Seriously though - we are extremely passionate and many unfortunately seem to get big heads a little too fast when things are going well. Some of us try to be thoughtful and admit the teams shortcomings though. I think the in game atmostphere at Kinnick and Memorial are both pretty similar but man you guys need to learn to tailgate better!

 

Northwestern - who cares really They are a strange bunch. If they upset you a few years in a row they get very cocky but otherwise they are very nice but mostly subdued fans. It is very easy to fill half their stadium with your own fans.

Minnesota - very passionate and hope to god their team is good even though deep down they know they suck. good fans. Can't comment on them because we get their worst very similar to Nebraska and Colorado or Missouri

Michigan State - great fans that love to drink. similar to Wisconsin fans. I've been to East Lansing a few times now and I love how they come out for games. They only really care about beating Michigan. I am not a big fan of Michigan State fans. Other than Michigan fans they seem to be the rudest fans in the conference.

 

Illinois - not really a big fan of these guys. Not terrible but they seem to have this sense of entitlement - more so in basketball than football. Tend to think they are better and other people care about more than they really are/do. Never had a problem with them. They have a problem filling their stadium and since Iowa is so close to them when we have gone there it was with a third of the stadium of us.

 

Indiana - very passionate but their team sucks and probably always will. Seems a good assessment as does the Purdue one.

 

Purdue - not much experience with Purdue "fans." I know a bunch of Purdue people but no cares that much about any sport...a little basketball but that was just b/c there were very good this year.

 

 

The following two fanbases suck:

 

Ohio State - there are so many of these efers in Chicago and they are so fricking annoying. The most passionate fans tend to be the ones that didn't go to the school. Ohio, Miami of Ohio, Marshall, etc. all bleed Ohio State crimson. I get text messages from some every Saturday saying how their team is so good. Every single one has a bs sense of entitlement...I hate them the most (sorry Manhattan). I have never had a problem with Ohio State but then again until recently they never really had any reason to give us the time of day.

 

Michigan - smug, arrogant, think they know it all from politics to water polo to football. Not really much else to say. By far the fan base that was the rudeest to us in our travels to other stadiums.

 

 

If you do plan on roadtripping here is a site from a group of fans in Milwaukee that hit all the Big 10 stadiums last year and talk about things to do and see in the places in addition to giving full run downs of game atmosphere both before, during and after the games.

 

http://www.thebig10tour.com/

[RockyMountainOySker]

My thoughts in red.

 

I have had many interactions with a number of Big 10 schools living in Chicago. Here are my opinions:

 

Penn State - good fans. know their stuff and come out in droves. very loyal. I would agree with this. I have not actually been there but the Penn State fans I have met and talked with seemed very nice.

Wisconsin - good fans but care as much about drinking as their team. I actually love Wisconsin fans. I've had great times during my trips to Madison and the Wisconsin women in Chicago are amazing. Going to Wisconsin can be a bit rough depending on how they are doing in any given year. If they are having a down year they are very nice but if they are in the thick of things it can bring out some rudeness to visitors

 

Iowa - very passionate but seem to think they are better than they really are. good fans though. WE ROCK!!! Seriously though - we are extremely passionate and many unfortunately seem to get big heads a little too fast when things are going well. Some of us try to be thoughtful and admit the teams shortcomings though. I think the in game atmostphere at Kinnick and Memorial are both pretty similar but man you guys need to learn to tailgate better!

 

Northwestern - who cares really They are a strange bunch. If they upset you a few years in a row they get very cocky but otherwise they are very nice but mostly subdued fans. It is very easy to fill half their stadium with your own fans.

Minnesota - very passionate and hope to god their team is good even though deep down they know they suck. good fans. Can't comment on them because we get their worst very similar to Nebraska and Colorado or Missouri

Michigan State - great fans that love to drink. similar to Wisconsin fans. I've been to East Lansing a few times now and I love how they come out for games. They only really care about beating Michigan. I am not a big fan of Michigan State fans. Other than Michigan fans they seem to be the rudest fans in the conference.

 

Illinois - not really a big fan of these guys. Not terrible but they seem to have this sense of entitlement - more so in basketball than football. Tend to think they are better and other people care about more than they really are/do. Never had a problem with them. They have a problem filling their stadium and since Iowa is so close to them when we have gone there it was with a third of the stadium of us.

 

Indiana - very passionate but their team sucks and probably always will. Seems a good assessment as does the Purdue one.

 

Purdue - not much experience with Purdue "fans." I know a bunch of Purdue people but no cares that much about any sport...a little basketball but that was just b/c there were very good this year.

 

 

The following two fanbases suck:

 

Ohio State - there are so many of these efers in Chicago and they are so fricking annoying. The most passionate fans tend to be the ones that didn't go to the school. Ohio, Miami of Ohio, Marshall, etc. all bleed Ohio State crimson. I get text messages from some every Saturday saying how their team is so good. Every single one has a bs sense of entitlement...I hate them the most (sorry Manhattan). I have never had a problem with Ohio State but then again until recently they never really had any reason to give us the time of day.

 

Michigan - smug, arrogant, think they know it all from politics to water polo to football. Not really much else to say. By far the fan base that was the rudeest to us in our travels to other stadiums.

 

 

If you do plan on roadtripping here is a site from a group of fans in Milwaukee that hit all the Big 10 stadiums last year and talk about things to do and see in the places in addition to giving full run downs of game atmosphere both before, during and after the games.

 

http://www.thebig10tour.com/

the big10tour.com person is a friend of the kid doing the thebig12tour this year.

[shmitch25]

Hello all! Michigan State fan here...first off I want to say that I'm really pulling for Nebraska to be part of the B10...I've always had a great deal of respect for your football program and your university. I always love watching you guys on TV, the atmosphere you create at your football games is nothing short of incredible.

 

More on topic, most of the B10 fans you meet are pretty easy-going. There are a couple of rotten apples in every fanbase, but for the most part the b10 fanbases are pretty solid (with a few exceptions.) I hope you enjoy my sweeping generalizations.

 

I'll start with my school...Michigan State. I'm originally from Chicago, so I really didn't know too much about State, but I decided to come because of how nice the people were here. Yeah, there are a few tools, but for the most part, visitors love their trips to East Lansing and there's a good amount to do on and off campus. We often argue amongst ourselves if we're a football or basketball school...clearly the rest of the nation sees us as a basketball school...but we love our football team and support them through thick and thin.

 

Illinois- A couple of my best buds go to Illinois, and they're great people...but I went down there for a football game and was not impressed with Illini nation as a whole. They don't sell out their (small) stadium and there definitely is a sense of unwarranted arrogance amongst that fan-base.

 

Indiana- Much more of a basketball school than a football school, obviously. Assembly Hall is one of the best places in the nation to see a basketball game, even when the team is down (as it has been lately.) Football has a tough time selling there, but IU fans are courteous and know how to have a good time.

 

Iowa- Extremely devoted fans, but they seem to get big heads rather quickly. Their sense of reality goes down the tube with every win they get. Known for traveling well.

 

Michigan- Hate, hate, hate this fanbase. Their reputation is warranted, they are the most arrogant fans you'll come across in college football.

 

Minnesota- Haven't actually ever been up there, but the few Minnesota fans I know are great people and support their team even when they're not great.

 

Northwestern- Going to Northwestern for games (football or basketball) is a lot of fun. Their fans are gracious hosts, and chances are it'll turn into more of a neutral site game for your team...(They have a hard time selling out.) Plus, you can party it up in Chicago!

 

Ohio State- The best traveling fan-base in the Big Ten, but also a little bit rude. I haven't had any huge issues with any of their fans, just have heard a couple of stories where they haven't been classy.

 

Penn State- Diehard fans, very organized fan base, seem to be pretty good people.

 

Purdue- Football fans are fine, basketball fans are intolerable.

 

Wisconsin- Devoted to their team, but care more about drinking after the game than the actual result. Really fun fanbase for the most part, though.

[knapplc]

Welcome to HuskerBoard, shmitch! Thanks for the rundown on the fans from around the Big 10. Your assessment seems to echo a lot of the things we've been hearing around the water cooler.

 

Let us know if there's anything you want to know about Nebraska. We're pretty much a one-sport school, with occasional success in other sports. The only other mainstay sport we have besides football is women's volleyball.

[HuskerNLimbo]

I currently attend Ohio State, so I have run into all fan bases in the four years i've been here. My opinions are a little biased I guess, but its just my opinion.

 

Ohio State: very loyal, know the game well. Great tailgating. Do not take losing well. . .IE rioting after losses right off of campus.

 

Michigan: Smug is the best word to describe them. Did anyone else go to the Alamo Bowl when we played them? All their noses were up. Still consider themselves the best, even though they havent beat OSU in 7 years.

 

Wisconsin: Good fans, better drinkers. Great tailgating.

 

Iowa: Big fan base, not too bad of fans.

 

Penn State: very loyal fans, but are jerks as well. I consider them the colorado of fans in the big ten

 

Northwestern: best school in conference, so their fans are pretty laid back about football bc they'll probably beating you in non-athletic things. . .like incomes.

 

Indiana: Not a football school and it shows. They were on their way (sort of) when their coach died. With his death, the program is just lucky to have a whole team and the fans know that too.

 

Michigan State: Loyal fans, not too bad of sports, but not the nicest either.

 

Purdue: a little smug, but nowhere to the point of michigan, fans realize they are a bball school.

 

Minnesota: Their fans are basically just nice. Its weird, but thats what i got from them.

 

Illinois: Jerks as well. Good thing they lose, otherwise they would be even worse.

[UGAHusker]

Every Penn State fan I know really likes two things, hair gel and muscle shirts.

[shmitch25]

Every Penn State fan I know really likes two things, hair gel and muscle shirts.

 

Imagine if Rutgers joins...

[Judoka]

Every Penn State fan I know really likes two things, hair gel and muscle shirts.

 

Imagine if Rutgers joins...

Jersey Shore

[schuhbdoo]

Sorry but Penn State fans are horrible. They have the arrogantness of Notre Dame and the behavior of Colorado rolled right into one fanbase.

 

 

Penn State fans still think Jo Pa is relavent. They think he should never retire and he is great for the program. Coaching is a 7 day a week job and 52 weeks a year. Someone that is 110 doesn't have the energy.

[bbeerma2]

Wisconsin has two types of fans.

 

Some Wisconsin fans are fickle. They will leave a game if they are down by a lot. They will also leave if they are up by a lot. They come sometime in the 2nd quarter after a morning/afternoon of hard drinking. There is a bar about 10 steps from the stadium that is packed on gameday.

 

Some Wisconsin fans are great fans. They stay through the whole game (but still may come late due to drinking). They even stay for the band's "fifth quarter" performance. They pack the Kohl Center for basketball games. They flood to hockey games.

 

They don't really show up for Volleyball though. We got some tickets for a few bucks to watch them play Penn State (they barely lost).

 

It's an issue with the fundamentals of the state. It has a very big demographic of people similar to Nebraska. It also has a huge colony of liberals centered in Madison who are far to the left. It also has the inner-city mentality found in some parts of Madison and Milwaukee.