Where Do Your Allegiances Lie?

Last night I tweeted “Hell of a run for the #OUBobcats, but you can now return to being bandwagon OSU fans” which was intended primarily as a joke, but after the responses I received and the conversations I had it definitely struck a nerve with some. The reactions and comments I received made me think more about the fan dynamics in the state of Ohio and the unwavering support of Ohio State University athletics by many that attended other great Ohio universities.

            As I sat at the bar watching the entertaining Sweet 16 game between Ohio University and North Carolina, the lady next to me who had been cheering relentlessly for the Bobcats let me know she was a proud OU alum.  She yelled and hollered all game long, but as time expired she leaned over to me and said “I’m an OSU fan anyways”.  This comment was nothing new, I hear it from most people who are alum of other Ohio universities such as Miami, Kent State, Toledo, Akron, etc...  It’s comments like these that get under my skin.

            That comment is what sparked my tweet, but then led me to think more about the Ohio State fan base, and who it is comprised of.  There is no doubt that Ohio State is a great university. There is great history both in athletics and on the campus in Columbus, Ohio and I respect that.  My problem is not with those that attended the university, but those that attended other universities in the state of Ohio, but continue to be diehard Buckeye fans.  I understand that you grew up rooting for the Buckeyes, but then you got older, matured, and made the decision to attend a different university.

If you made that choice to attend a different university, why not immerse yourself in that university’s campus and athletics?  Instead of still rooting for a college you don’t attend, go out to your school’s football game on Saturday and spend your money on your university.  Tailgate early in the morning and create a sense of buzz, something to get excited about.  Sure they might not be that competitive or have ESPN on campus every week, but it’s still your university.  Why not change the culture at that university?  Begin supporting your athletics from the beginning of regular season and not just on the big stage of the postseason every few seasons.  After graduating become a booster and visit your alma mater for sporting events that bring money to the local businesses that you loved as a student. Basically, take pride in something you are a part of.  This is how programs grow and develop over time.

Something that was a part of your life for at least four years deserves more than you spending your time and money on a university you never attended just because they have good athletic programs.  Take that time and money and put it into your alma mater.  Buy season tickets even if you can’t make all the games, join boosters, buy jerseys and apparel of that university, and make trips to the campus for sporting events as much as you would to Columbus in the fall.

  It’s just crazy to me that a great university such as Ohio University that has been around for over 200 years, has a great history if not more than OSU, notable alumni and a relatively large enrollment (35,324) can’t support it’s athletic teams year round.  It blows my mind to know that the city of Athens, Ohio becomes a mini Columbus every Saturday during the fall with scarlet and grey jerseys and apparel littered throughout the rolling hills in southwest Ohio.  What if those scarlet and grey jerseys were replaced with green and white, tailgated around the beautiful campus all day and planted their asses in Peden Stadium?

Of course there are no rules to what team you can and cannot root for or support.  I just never really understood the concept of rooting for Ohio State just because it’s Ohio State.  I am a very proud and loyal person and support everything I am involved with through and through.  I was fortunate enough to attend Florida State University, and since the day I enrolled there I have been nothing but supportive and loyal to only FSU.  I spend my money on FSU as a booster, as a fan of the sports, and as an alum of the university.

I also realized in Florida that there were many universities in the state that had great fan bases that supported their university regardless of that university’s size or athletic accomplishments.  Schools such as University of Central Florida and University of South Florida had surprisingly supportive fan bases and alum that spend their time and money on their alma mater and not one of the big three (FSU, UF, and Miami) just because they were the schools the majority of the state supported.  Of course there are fans of the big three that attended other universities; it happens everywhere, it just seems to be more of a happening in the state of Ohio.

Regardless, there is no right or wrong team to cheer for.  Just an observation from an Ohio resident who has zero ties to any university in the area.  The dynamics of the fan bases and lack thereof in Ohio truly intrigues me, and is something I always wanted to know more about.  Why do fans of OSU who attended other universities continue to support OSU over their alma mater?  There can be a school to challenge OSU in athletics in this great state of Ohio.  It is a possibility, but it has to start somewhere and what better place than with the alumni of those universities?  Also, I only used OU as an example because of the game last night, but you can replace OU with many other Ohio universities.  Just happened to be the one of discussion last night.