College football's most arrogant fanbases, ranked (2024)

These schools did not quite make the top five, but they still received plenty of votes from fans that see them as “arrogant.” Maybe it is the Los Angeles mystique that landed the Bruins here, but there has not been much reason for a haughty attitude in recent years. In fact, UCLA gets called out frequently for its attendance issues, and the university has taken to covering parts of the Rose Bowl to hide empty sections. Maybe this moniker fits better coming forward, as UCLA is finally building some momentum under coach Chip Kelly.

This one makes more sense. Texas seems pretty far-removed from its heyday, though the Longhorns consistently get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to preseason hype and even in-season rankings. Maybe Steve Sarkisian has the program heading in the right direction after an 8-4 regular season, but a loss in the Alamo Bowl sends things out on a sour note. Recruiting is still humming along, and will always be strong with Texas’ status as a historic powerhouse. But this is a program that has done very little of national relevance since Mack Brown was coach.

How many Utah fans were involved with this poll? Casting votes towards BYU for “arrogance” is a pretty odd thing to do. The Cougars have quietly been one of the best Group Five teams for years, and they will soon make the jump to the Power Five by joining the Big 12 Conference. But unless there is some strong regional hatred, BYU has rarely garnered enough national attention to breed any sort of arrogance amongst its fans. BYU has an incredibly passionate fanbase, and Provo is one of the most scenic venues in all of college football, so the Cougars faithful have those things to hang their hat on.

Michigan State fans may be quick to point out that this survey was conducted by a website called “Play Michigan,” with a logo that suspiciously includes the colors maize and blue, but that school in Ann Arbor actually took the No. 7 spot on the survey’s list of overall worst-behaved fans, well ahead of the Spartans. This is another odd selection for, outside of Mel Tucker’s second year, Michigan State is a program that has been mired in mediocrity over the last five or so years. To be fair, 2021 did give Spartans fans plenty to brag about for a while at least.

The 2022 season was an interesting study in fan perception of the Auburn program. Folks were mostly checked out while Bryan Harsin was still the head coach, and there were times where you could hear a pen drop in Jordan-Hare Stadium. But things changed in interim coach Cadillac Williams’ first game after Harsin was fired. Fans showed up early and stayed loud for an eventual 13-10 win against Texas A&M. New coach Hugh Freeze will get that exact same reaction, so long as he stays winning.

Voters in this poll must be confused. If we were talking about the most arrogant fanbases in college basketball, then Duke would be right up there near the top. But football? The Blue Devils had a fantastic first year under new coach Mike Elko, but even then it seemed like people barely cared. Maybe if he continues to win, then football will generate more interest. But as things stand, and as it has been for a very long time, Duke is a basketball school over anything else.

Notre Dame is similar to Texas, in that the program’s national success is locked largely in the past. Sure, the Irish made a couple College Football Playoff appearances in recent years, but they always ended in embarrassment. To be fair, any appearance in the playoff is better than no appearance, and Notre Dame is one of just two teams on this list that can say it has sniffed a national championship since the new system was implemented eight years ago.

There were some that made the argument in 2022 that Alabama, despite having two losses, should make the College Football Playoff just based on the merit that it is Alabama. That is the absolute definition of arrogance. However, the Crimson Tide can at least back it up. Nick Saban has built arguably the most impressive dynasty in college football’s history. Last season marked just the second time that Alabama failed to make the playoff since its inception. Alabama also has six national title game appearances in the past eight years, with half of those resulting in championships.

Saban is not afraid to humble Alabama fans, though. Just last season he called out the Crimson Tide faithful for their bloated expectations.

"When I came here, everybody was happy to win a game," Saban said. "Now, we’re not happy to win a game anymore. We’re not happy to win a game at all.We think we should win games by whatever, and I don’t think that’s fair to the players either. Because our players work their butt off to be the best that they can be, and to get criticized for what they work hard for to do, so that you can be entertained."