Top songs in college football

Possessing an identity is one of the most important aspects of collegiate sports. Stadium sounds are an important piece to any college football atmosphere, and having the right anthem can be an integral part of establishing a strong identity.

Every college football team in the nation has at least one song that carries some significance to the players, students, coaches and most importantly the fans.

To be an iconic signature song, it must be effective in rallying the fanbase and intimidating opposing teams while holding cultural significance to the university.

In this ranking, only licensed songs will be featured, excluding any university fight songs or band originals.

10. “Shipping Up to Boston”- Notre Dame

The song in itself is very intimidating and fits the culture of the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. However, it finds itself at No. 10 because it simply is not as affiliated with Notre Dame as it is with other sports teams, and the casual fan may not associate the song with the Fighting Irish at first thought. It’s a strong song and perfect for a college football atmosphere, but not as linked with the team as some other combinations on the list.

9. “Sandstorm”- South Carolina

“Sandstorm” has been the song for the Gamecocks since 2009, ever since it made a spontaneous appearance in the fourth quarter against Ole Miss in a game that South Carolina would go on to win. It’s since become a university-wide tradition, played at many sporting events across campus.

8. “Take Me Home, Country Roads”- West Virginia

There may not be a song more fitting for their college football team on this list, but John Denver’s famous “Take Me Home, Country Roads” finds itself at eight. It has the potential to be much higher, but an alternate version of the song plays at home football games and it is not as good as the widely-popular commercial version.

7. “Mr. Brightside”- Michigan

It may be surprising to find “Mr. Brightside” so low on this list, as it has become one of the most prominent traditions in college football since its installation in 2016. “Mr. Brightside” and the Michigan Wolverines go hand-in-hand, due to the 100,000 fans that sing along to The Killers every home game in Ann Arbor. The song, however, remains an odd choice for a football team’s rallying cry.

6. “Kernkraft 400”- Penn State

A more intimidating song in college football, may not be. Penn State University fights an uphill climb with its use of “Kernkraft 400”, as the song is also used by hundreds of professional and collegiate sports teams across the nation. However, most sports fans, with an absence of bias, would undeniably agree that the song belongs primarily to the Nittany Lions of Penn State.

Due to the intimidation factor, and the seamless flow of the chant that rings from 100,000 strong on Beaver Stadium Saturdays, Penn State’s “Kernkraft 400” solidifies itself with a top-six spot on the list.

5. “Rocky Top”- Tennessee

“Rocky Top” has been the anthem of Tennessee football for over 50 years now, as it first echoed through the corridors of Neyland Stadium in October of 1972. The song refers to “Rocky Top, Tennessee” several times, as fans of the song have debated over exactly where Rocky Top, Tennessee is.

Rocky Top is a small, mountainous town about a 30-minute drive north of the university’s campus in Knoxville. The song resides strongly with Tennessee crowds and has become the identity of the school, and has even inspired outside audiences to universally refer to Tennessee University as “Rocky Top”.

4. “Enter Sandman”- Virginia Tech

One of the most iconic entrances in sports history, “Enter Sandman” leads the Hokies out of the tunnel every Saturday in a tradition that dates back to the early 2000’s. However, the famous Metallica song wasn’t the original choice for the Hokie anthem.

When Lane Stadium introduced a new video board in 2000, they needed to adopt a new song for the team walkouts. The finalists for the competition were “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’Roses and “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project. Virginia Tech made the right decision to go with “Enter Sandman”, as its iconic status and intimidation factor landed it a top-four spot on the list.

3. “I Won’t Back Down”- Florida

Opening up the top-three, it’s Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”. The song made its first appearance in the swamp during a 2017 loss against LSU, making it the youngest tradition on the list. Petty was raised in Gainesville, Florida, home of the Gators, and graduated from Gainesville High School.

While never attending Florida University, Petty did spend time working for the grounds crew on campus. Petty passed away on October 2nd, 2017. Five days later, “I Won’t Back Down” played for the first time at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

2. “Dixieland Delight”- Alabama

With a strong case for the number-one spot, due to its iconic status and the Alabama pride it exhibits among students, “Dixieland Delight” earns itself a secure spot at No.2 on the list. The 1983 Alabama tune is a love letter to the South and has become a staple of not just Alabama, but SEC football.

The song typically plays during the 4th quarter intermission at Bryant-Denny Stadium but suffered temporary censorship from 2014 to 2016 when the University deemed it was too controversial to play due to certain expletive phrases roared by fans during the chorus.

1. “Jump Around”- Wisconsin

Perhaps the most notable tradition in all of college football, “Jump Around” has achieved legendary status, thanks to the boisterous fans of Camp Randall Stadium. House of Pain’s 1992 hip-hop record typically plays following the third quarters of home games, while 80 thousand fans jump along in unison.

The song first debuted in 1998, in a victory over Purdue and future NFL superstar Drew Brees, and has been one of the most storied traditions ever since.

Sketch Morton is a fifth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email sam7539@psu.edu.