In most team sports, but especially in college basketball, badmouthing the rival team is just as important to the fans as supporting their own. That is why zinging your opponents is so much fun. A classic opportunity is bellowing the “left, right, sit down!” chant whenever a player fouls out. Jayhawk fans take things up a notch by adding their own unique “Midwest” spin to their unlucky opponent’s farewell.
Doing “The Wave” is so over. Now waving the wheat, that is a tradition we can get behind. Both incredibly rude and surprisingly graceful, it’s the charming Midwestern way to send off their rivals while not hurting their feelings, too much. This is only one of many of KU’s amazing college sports traditions. Keep reading to find out where the Jayhawks appear later in the list.
Mississippi State University
It drives their opponents crazy, the authorities wanted to get rid of it – the clanging cowbell. Fans actually clanged their bells so much at football games that they were not allowed to use them anymore. Luckily, a cowbell compromise was reached in 2011.
It is practically impossible to stop Bulldog fans from ringing their cowbells. This is considered one of the most annoying college sports traditions, especially by opposing fans. But Mississippi State believes that any good thing can become even better with the addition of a cowbell.
Indiana University
Most fans will agree that the worst thing about sports are TV timeouts. If you are actually at the game, they are even worse. Things grind to a halt and any good momentum that was building up ceases to exist. The Hoosiers take their basketball too seriously to let that happen to them. This lead IU’s band and cheer squad to invent their own version of the Under-8 timeout.
The TV timeout takes place during the first stoppage with under eight minutes to play in the second half. This is the band’s time to shine, they take over the court playing the “William Tell Overture” while the cheerleaders wave flags spelling “INDIANA HOOSIERS.” The band then moves on to the school fight song, with the entire crowd joining in for an “I-U!” scream, just then the horn blows to resume play. This is a master class in perfect timing.
The University of Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin Badgers is an incredibly strong team, one of the best in college football today. Their fans are eager to support them, and it’s not very hard to get them to their feet, but that is nothing compared to the moment House of Pain’s “Jump Around” starts blaring.
Things start heating up at the end of the third quarter. “Jump Around” comes on and Camp Randall Stadium is immediately transformed. The student section in the end zone becomes an enormous red sea, with Badger fans jumping up and down like they’re in a time loop to 1992. Everybody jump!
Texas A&M University
Getting a college student to show up for an early morning or late-night class is a challenge, but just try to keep Texas A&M fans away from Midnight Yell Practice (not held at midnight). On the night before the Aggies run onto Kyle Field for a home game (two nights before away games), over 20,000 loyal fans turn up for a massive pep rally to work on their school spirit.
Yell leaders wearing t-shirts and overalls, not wanting to get their white game-day uniforms dirty, lead Aggie fans in songs and chants to get ready for the upcoming match. Hand movements accompany the songs and the mass of fans all work together as a perfect unit. They are so disciplined and attentive their professors don’t even recognize them.