Can You Be a Fan of a School's Team If You Didn't Attend That School?

I graduated in 1999. If it weren't for Bowers Stadium, most people on campus at that time wouldn't have known we even had a football team. The only games I ever went to were vs. SWT...and that was only because my brother was the kicker for SWT.

 

It isn't a problem for me when people root for UT to win because they feel that they represent Texas. However, it IS a problem for me when people act like they are the biggest UT fans in the world, wear their burnt orange, and act like they live and die with the team when they have never have stepped foot on the campus.

So the answer is no its not a problem to pull for a particular team, but it does become a problem when you overreact when they win/lose and you say things like "We" when talking about the athletics of that university.

 

I would say its less territorial than Pro athletics, but there still is a certain geographic-based allegiance when it comes to supporting a college team.

Think of a state like Utah for instance that doesn't have an NFL team to root for, they're all Utah or BYU Fans to some degree I'd imagine.

 

what if you go to 2 different colleges? say you transferred or went to another for grad school?

 

even though i mostly agree with what you are saying, i still don't understand why this is such a sour point for some people. that's like me being a pepsi fan and being pissed off that people like coke. why can't people just root for their teams, talk **** like sports fans do, and that be it? how in the world does it negatively affect you in anyway that i root for ut (and have my entire life) even though i attended a different college?

 

I haven't read the thread, but I would be willing to bet that almost everyone who is against it will cite something about UT. (Just like people in Florida probably feel the same way about the Gators, Ohio: Ohio State, ... etc.)

Personally, I have no problem at all with my friends who go to different schools coming to tailgate with me and cheer the 'Horns on.

Are you really telling me that if your friends decided to cheer for your school (be it Tech, A&M, whoever) that you would tell them to stop if they weren't a student there? Please.

Just say you hate UT. Don't (not-so) cleverly disguise it as a hatred for t-shirt fans.

 

How about no.

I hate phony baloney Lakers fans at Rockets games, too.

 

Can you be a fan of the Rockets if you keep posting Orlando Magic highlights in the GARM?

 

I take it you don't have any friends who are EPL fans. I have tons of friends who wear ManU, Chelsea jerseys all over the place and never hesitate to talk trash at each other, sometimes for hours on end. Most of them have never even traveled to the UK before. Get off your high horse. There's nothing wrong with being a "brash fan" for a team just because you haven't had the opportunity to spend tons of $$$ on a live "experience". I think everyone has the right to root for whoever they want. If you don't like it, then screw you.

 

I'm quite comfy up here, commoner.

*snicker*

 

Because going to the University gives you any more right to gloat? It isn't like you were playing. You did nothing more than a non student could do. I love my college team, but I want the other fans to come out and support the team. I want to see as much of the team's colors as possible:

 

I have absolutely no connection to the Rockets, but I loved them from the beginning and I will live and die with them for better or worse. Its a marriage for life as far as I'm concerned.

Call me a bandwagoner, and call The_Yoyo a bandwagoner as well...

Doesn't make much sense to me, we're talking about a personal preference.

 

I don't think so. I would say yes until you go to college, but then no. I suppose it would be fine if you didn't go to college. I would root for UT in high school. I still like to see UT, Rice, UH win, but I now go to Colorado and that is my team unfortunately.

 

i love it when clutchfans helps me decide my wardrobe. tomorrow, i'm wearing my ut gear, wednesday my rice shirt and thursday my uh shirt. bwahahahahahahahaha.

 

See, I've been asking myself the same thing for a long time, especially over the last year.

My dad was a "Texas (the state) first, end of story" guy, and UT was his favorite of all of them, though he went to East Texas State University in Commerce.

I went to military school in San Marcos and spent a solid 3 years going back and forth to Austin. Still have all my close high school friends there. The first college football game I ever attended was UT vs. TT in Austin when I was 16 or so.

Then I went to Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, which was/is Division III, so that didn't count on the same level. And I've always lamented that I didn't go to UT or another big school, especially when all my buddies get so geared up for football season, March Madness, etc.

As a result of all that, I've always considered myself to be a casual college sports fan, though UT has always been my team....and now I go to OU for nursing school. I'm a confused, confused person.

Granted, I'm older so I'm pretty removed from the 'rah-rah' school spirit thing, but I certainly find myself caring about OU and how they do, how they're looking, when Bradford is coming back, etc....which is to say that I actually care a bit when in the past I was barely aware of their existence.

But I'm still drawn to Texas first, the state and the school (except any team pertaining to Dallas), and I'm just torn as to how to feel about it.

And I feel the same way about UH (Ranked for the first time in forever? Whooping up on #5 OSU in their house? Yes, please; I'd like some more of that) and Rice to a lesser extent. Home town, home state. I feel like I have to represent that and it's important to do so.

Maybe I'll just get a Master's from UT and be done with it because college sports has left me way too confused for my own good.

 

Why? Why can't someone who didn't attend a school actually love that team or live and die with that team? Do you really think stepping foot on campus is what magically transforms someone into a diehard fan? And more importantly, why on earth do you care enough to have a problem with it?

 

I got your back dude. you can root for whomever you want. It's what's on TV. They win, people like winners.

I'm not a fan of the Cowboys, but I don't deny they are easily the most popular NFL team in Texas. Even in Houston, I think they outnumber the Texans fans.

My roommate in college was from houston and loved the cowboys, I asked him why he doesn't root for the Oilers. "They suck".

There's also many reasons why people root for teams.
Look at college basketball. How many people in Texas went to UNC? yet there are tons of UNC jerseys around.

Also look at when NWA got popular, everybody was wearing a Raiders cap!

 

Uhh, nothing more than a nonstudent?

How about alumni donations, booster contributions, people who organize... contribute to the overall image and betterment OF that university.... as a student or long after.

Bottom line, cheer for whoever you want... for the most part it doesn't bother me... but to mr. super fan out there... I'm not going to stop thinking it is super lame to cherry pick teams and claim to be the #1 fan when your investment is about as shallow as the t-shirt you picked up off the clearance rack at Academy.

 

I grew up watching Paterno w/ my dad. I went to OK State, but I still cheer for the Lions as well.