Essential to the college football experience isn’t just winning games or playing for the national title, but the sheer unbridled, visceral hatred that fans of one school have for another.
Ohio State hates Michigan, and the feeling is mutual. The same for Alabama and Auburn. And for Texas and Oklahoma. Navy hates Army, and Army hates Navy. And on it goes.
Now, looking ahead to the 2025 college football season approaches, the vox populi has once again delivered a definitive result on what schools and, in particular, their fan bases have aroused the most contempt from football-watchers from around the country.
This time around, that honor goes to the Ohio State Buckeyes, which scored a perfect 10/10 as the most “toxic” fanbase in college football, according to the latest rankings from the folks at Elite College Football.
Envy obviously has something to do with it. The preseason chatter couldn’t stop talking about that alleged $20 million roster Ohio State put together and, loaded with blue-chip transfers, it made the most of its investment, dominating the playoff and winning the national championship.
Florida was something of a surprise at No. 2 in these rankings, scoring 8.9/10 on the toxicity meter, a vote perhaps buoyed by some angry LSU and Ole Miss fans, both of whom had their seasons stupefied by the resurgent Gators in two late-season upsets.
Florida was 4-5 with losses to three top-10 ranked SEC opponents ─ Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas ─ before knocking off No. 22 LSU and then shockingly upset No. 9 Ole Miss, a result that seemed to completely derail what until then looked like the Rebels’ pretty decent playoff hopes.
Colorado emerged at No. 4 in the toxic fanbase rankings on the tail-end of a markedly-improved season by Coach Deion Primetime Sanders with all the attention he always commands.
As they do on the field and on the balance sheet, the SEC and Big Ten both dominated these rankings, but two key ACC powers also proved annoying: Miami and Florida State, and no doubt the Hurricanes got a little more irritating after signing quarterback Carson Beck, after his exit from Georgia.
1. Ohio State: 10/10
2. Florida: 8.9/10
3. Georgia: 8.8/10
4. Colorado: 8.5/10
5. Miami: 8.3/10
6. Tennessee: 8.2/10
7. Texas: 7.8/10
8. Alabama: 7.6/10
9. Florida State: 6.9/10
10. Michigan: 6.8/10
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