Tiffany Raiford
When it comes to college sports, there is nothing more important to some than the win. As a Florida Gator fan, I can tell you that the people who support their college teams are no joke. We don’t care about you and your school. We don’t care about anything but the game when it’s being played, and I can assure you that while it’s important during college, it becomes even more important as you get older. You raise your kids to love your team. You support them on and off-season, and you find yourself hearing your husband say things like, “I love that dress on you, but it’s kind of Tennessee orange, don’t you think?” and you promptly hate the dress because it is too Tennessee orange and you don’t want the SEC mistaking you for a Vol. But that’s just an example of what it’s like to be a college sports fan, and we have an even bigger example of which schools have the biggest and most insane NCAA basketball fan bases. Yours might just be on this list.
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Florida
I’m putting myself right at the top of the list. What you get with a Gator fan is hardcore. After all, we say it at every football game, “In all types of weather….” And we mean it whether it’s basketball, football or girls’ softball, we support our players and we do it up. Florida fans are the BEST fans in the country. I can’t tell you how awesome it is to travel out of the country or to another state far away from Gainesville (which is thisclose to my hometown) and see someone with a Gator hat or shirt, do the chomp and make a new friend. Gator fans are currently in a state losing Billy Donovan, but we’ll rally. We always do.
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Gonzaga
You know that no matter what happens in the game, Gonzaga is there. Their fans are hardcore and they are always in the midst of the biggest games of the season. They pack their arena and they show their support like no one else knows how to do. Perhaps that’s because their team is one that they love so much, and perhaps it’s because basketball seems to be a way of life on their campus.
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Indiana
Indiana players might not get as crazy as some of the other players from some of the other teams, and their fans are the same way. They’re hardcore, but they’re hardcore in a way that makes them a bit more unnoticeable by the rest of the world. But they are into the game and they are not making any apologies about the fact that their team is the best thing in their lives that ever happened to them, and that’s what people love about Indiana fans.
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Kansas
Kansas basketball fans have a reason to be excited about the game, and they like to show that. They like the world to know that they have some serious love of the sport, and they like to show that off as often as possible. That’s all right, too, considering the fact that they have a right to love their team. They’re known for traveling well, for being present at home games and for not letting anyone forget who they are when it comes down to the game.
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Syracuse
This is a school that has massive number of fans that will follow their team wherever they shall go, away or home or whatever. This is a team with mass success and they know it, and they show it. Their fans are some of the most loyal, dedicated and even hated in the NCAA thanks to their smug nature and their certainty that success is always theirs. Even when they don’t take home the title and fans are rabid, they know they’ll probably just bring it home next year again.
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UConn
What can we say about the fans at UConn except for the fact that they are excellent fans? In fact, you will not find another school on this list that goes so far as to show their support in droves for the men’s basketball team as they do the women’s basketball team. If there is a raise given to pro women players, it’s because the fans of UConn and the women that come out of this school are single-handedly responsible for making it happen, I can assure you of that.
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Michigan State
Michigan State has some great fans all the way across the board, but none quite like their basketball fans. This is a school in which basketball fans want you to remember that they are there, that they are watching you and that even if they lose they somehow still win on the basis that they said so. That’s right; if a Michigan State fan feels good about a losing game, the winning team really lost and Michigan State really won. It doesn’t have to make sense, okay?
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UNC
North Carolina fans are so much fun, and I say that not because I love the state in general. I say that because they are so much fun. They will talk smack and make you feel about as big as your toe when you’re in the middle of a game and then be your best friend and forget all about your rivalry a second after the game is over and success is in their hand. They’re such nice people in North Carolina, but sometimes the game makes them mean.
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Kentucky
Kentucky fans are something else. They’re diehards unlike any other. They’re in love with watching the Wildcats play, and they’re in love with winning even more. And it’s a good thing that they’re good and that they see so much success, too, otherwise these would be some bitter fans. I mean, they’re seriously diehard fans. I’ve almost never seen intensity like that of a Wildcat.
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Villanova
Imagine having such a big fan base that your school cannot even play at their own arena because 6,500 seats is not enough for the fans? They usually play their games in the NBA arena housing the 76ers since they need more seats to keep their fans happy. I don’t know why they haven’t expanded their arena yet, but there has to be a time in the near future in which they will make that announcement with a fan base so huge it’s ridiculous.
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LSU
While the Tigers prefer their football games to their basketball games, they’re not lacking in the fan base at the moment, either. LSU fans are hardcore no matter what the game, and they are always there to win. They are also always there to talk smack and make sure other teams don’t feel so good about themselves in their house. LSU fans are hard core all the way, and they don’t leave it on the football field; they bring it to the arena, too.
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Georgia
The Bulldogs love their football, but that does not mean that they do not support their basketball teams. They do love their hoops, too. They are nowhere near as talented as some of the other teams on this list, but their fans either don’t realize that or they just don’t care, and that is precisely what makes them such good fans. Their lack of care that other teams are clearly better doesn’t bother them; they only care about their team and the game, and that’s what it’s all about.
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Northern Iowa
Who? Right; but they do have fans so obsessed with their team that they’ve gone on to start a dance craze that’s so much fun and so popular even the First Lady of the United States of America has done the dance. That’s pretty good, right? These are fans that love their team and will stop at nothing to show their support at all times, in all places and no matter what the situation.
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Dayton
What is it about Ohio people that makes them such crazed fans? They love their teams, and it does not really matter what sport is being played; whatever is in season is hot right now and that’s how these fans feel. They fill up the arena with their fan gear, their screams for victory and their desire to see a win. They are some of the most consistent fans in the game, showing up all the time and always looking for a win. And they’re fun fans, too, and that’s awesome.
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Arizona
Arizona fans are a bit hardcore. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of being near them, you will understand that they are in it to win it and they do not care about anyone or anything else. They’re a little intimidating with their numbers and their intensity, but that’s what makes the game so much fun. It’s not the players, it’s the people in the stands making the game more fun. Okay, it’s the game; but crazy fans are fun, too.
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Oklahoma
While their basketball program is not as big as their football program, they are consistent and their fans love them. They’re not the most wild fans in the history of the game, but they’re quietly taking notes and making you feel as if your team is nothing in comparison to theirs. They’re like the silent lobbyists that come in and take over, and that’s what these fans want you to think. They’re hardcore and they’re always present, and they hate you.
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North Carolina State
It’s not like it’s a big secret that North Carolina people are in love with their college basketball, but it’s also not a big secret that while NC State has a huge fan base, they’re nowhere near as good as UNC or Duke. However, that does not stop fans from showing up to games ready to win and acting as if they own every college championship title in the history of the game. We love that kind of dedication and positive thinking, and it makes us happy.
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Louisville
These are fans that are just in the game like they are in the game. They are always packing the arena to the point that there are no empty seats. They travel with the team and they know their home base is something to be feared. After all, it’s not easy to beat Louisville at home – or on the road. These are fans that are hardcore no matter what, but they get intense when it comes to Kentucky and their hatred is unmatched by any other rivalry.
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Duke
Duke; what can we say about Duke fans other than the fact that they are hardcore? You’re talking about one of the best basketball programs in the country, and people don’t forget that. They also don’t let you forget that. And they love to talk about it. They’ll talk about anything and everything that is related to their team, travel with their team and they will paint their bodies and their houses and their cars to match their team. They love the game.
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UCLA
The people of UCLA are still living in their past dreams of wins back when John Wooden was present, but let’s face it; that ship has sailed and the team hasn’t done much since. Sure, he coached the team through some serious championships and they were good. That’s given UCLA some serious fan base issues and made them among the most hardcore in the business thanks to those wins. Maybe one day they’ll win again.
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