What’s up with “school spirit”?

[Anonymous]

Long ago when I went to college, I deliberately chose a LAC with no football team because I had zero interest in "that kind of thing". Flash forward, and I now have kids at two different state schools with great school spirit. We've attended their football games and now I see what I was missing back in the day. I loved my school, but there is nothing like spending game day tailgating and cheering on your school's team. So glad my own kids are getting to experience what I did not. And the academics are excellent too, btw. Because I'm sure someone will insist it's either one or the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the deal with “school spirit”? Can anyone define it? Why did it disappear at some schools that used to have it? Why do some kids want it so much, even kids who have the stats for elite schools?

Whoever has witnessed the awe-inspiring majesty of a stampede of the Bucknell Bison would not think to ask such a silly question.

It’s time to get outside and touch the central Pennsylvania grass.

Or be there for an Auburn/Alabama game!

So much excitement, and the roar of a stadium--such school spirit!

When a football player (Chris Davis) catches a missed field goal kick and runs 109 yds for a touchdown in the final seconds of a game, you know what school spirit sounds like!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Five words : Football games at VT

Two words: White Out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Five words : Football games at VT

Oh, my goodness, yes. So.much.fun.

That’s definitely a great expression of “school spirit!” But I’d also offer that there are schools that have massive school spirit that don’t necessarily center around sports the way that some larger state schools do. W&M comes to mind. Huge networking advantage there in that everyone who goes there seems super hyped about it and their alumni are all about hooking up recent grads with good job prospects and sharing in that enthusiasm of their Alma mater. That type of school spirit is more like a recognition that the place is special and the community offers a sense of true belonging. It permeates the culture there among students and staff/faculty. And as a result, you rarely meet a W&M student or alum who is simply lukewarm in the school. They all love it intensely and I think that can definitely be classified as school spirit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Long ago when I went to college, I deliberately chose a LAC with no football team because I had zero interest in "that kind of thing". Flash forward, and I now have kids at two different state schools with great school spirit. We've attended their football games and now I see what I was missing back in the day. I loved my school, but there is nothing like spending game day tailgating and cheering on your school's team. So glad my own kids are getting to experience what I did not. And the academics are excellent too, btw. Because I'm sure someone will insist it's either one or the other.

+1

Michigan football and Duke basketball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School you like = Their school pride is awesome! The alumni are so supportive. Parent so friendly!

School you hate = Their school pride is elitist! The alumni are full of themselves. Parents so over the top!

Haha! So true!

My DC goes to a school with a lot of school spirit. I've never seen some many people wearing their colors while in that town. The alumni network is very active and willing to help. We were on vacation out of the country this summer and when DH was wearing something that identified the school, he would always hear someone comment with a school-specific phrase. It's the opposite of where I went to college and I think it's pretty cool.

Michigan? My DH had Michigan hat on and had someone scream “Go Blue” to him across a room in a huge customs line in Europe a few years ago. It was funny.

Of course! We remembered hearing that would happen when we were at admitted students day and thought they were exaggerating. Nope. Go Blue!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to the University of Florida in the 1980s.

Massive school spirit and this is way before our football team was good.

80 percent of the student body wore some sort of Gator apparel constantly. The intensity was incredible and it felt great to be a part of it. Everyone identified as a Gator and it just felt so inclusive.

The classes were hard work, but the atmosphere made it one of the best periods of my life.

Same and I went there in the 2000s. School pride was off the charts. We won a lot of basketball and football championships while I was there. Best 4 years!

Even in DC I have someone say “go gators” anytime I wear something that has a gator on it.

I went to UW-Madison and took my DD there for a tour in March. A large majority of the students were wearing WI apparel. I wear mine often as a 50+ yo woman and get lots of Go Badger comments as well. No one can deny WI has school spirit. I loved my time there and am proud to say I was a Badger. School spirit is being proud and happy to be part of a community. It's most obvious with big state schools with national sports programs because those are the largest school community events. I don't know what it looks like at smaller schools, but a school community is not exclusive to big state schools.

[Anonymous]

School spirit is typically only found at larger D1 schools. Very rarely is it found at smaller schools. Small schools may say they have school spirit, but they really don't in the way that kids want.

A strong alumni network is not the same as school spirit.

[Anonymous]

Disagree that school spirit is only found in D1 schools. Yes, athletic events is a big way that 'spirit' is formed, but the other big way is a school steep in traditions. Rice is a great example. Also Dartmouth. Neither are big sports 'rah rah' schools but they have a huge amount of school spirit through their regular drumbeat of school traditions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School you like = Their school pride is awesome! The alumni are so supportive. Parent so friendly!

School you hate = Their school pride is elitist! The alumni are full of themselves. Parents so over the top!

Haha! So true!

My DC goes to a school with a lot of school spirit. I've never seen some many people wearing their colors while in that town. The alumni network is very active and willing to help. We were on vacation out of the country this summer and when DH was wearing something that identified the school, he would always hear someone comment with a school-specific phrase. It's the opposite of where I went to college and I think it's pretty cool.

Michigan? My DH had Michigan hat on and had someone scream “Go Blue” to him across a room in a huge customs line in Europe a few years ago. It was funny.

Sure it wasn't "Go Blow!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s the deal with “school spirit”? Can anyone define it? Why did it disappear at some schools that used to have it? Why do some kids want it so much, even kids who have the stats for elite schools?

Rents.

A lot of schools that are in more expensive areas don't have cheap off-campus housing. So upperclassmen tend to commute more farther away and just don't do a lot of campus ECs like they used to. The high tuition also pushes students to focus more on things like co-ops, internships, job search, etc. and less on other campus activities.

I went to an undergraduate campus that was in a lower middle class/working class suburb and the apartments were dirt cheap near campus. The area has since gentrified and the apartments are expensive now, full of working professionals.

[Anonymous]

Disagree that school spirit is only found in D1 schools. Yes, athletic events is a big way that 'spirit' is formed, but the other big way is a school steep in traditions. Rice is a great example. Also Dartmouth. Neither are big sports 'rah rah' schools but they have a huge amount of school spirit through their regular drumbeat of school traditions.

+1. My SLAC had tons of school spirit - traditions, community organizations throughout campus, events that happened each year on campus, legacy parents/grandparents, a very strong honor code. Yes, we had sports but Homecoming was really the only game you ever went to, and it was fun. I always tell my kids I would go back in a heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

The Post must have been following our conversation because they posted their list of the 10 best college football towns. As a Badger alum, Madison as #1 doesn't surprise me at all. NDSU is surprising, but good for them! And yes, the town is different than the University, except when it isn't and is a big contributor to the school spirit. Madison is a great city.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/interactive/2025/best-college-football-towns/?itid=hp-top-table-main_p001_f010

Here is the list:

University of WI, Madison, Wis.
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore.
Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.
University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind.
University of Texas, Austin
University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Post must have been following our conversation because they posted their list of the 10 best college football towns. As a Badger alum, Madison as #1 doesn't surprise me at all. NDSU is surprising, but good for them! And yes, the town is different than the University, except when it isn't and is a big contributor to the school spirit. Madison is a great city.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/interactive/2025/best-college-football-towns/?itid=hp-top-table-main_p001_f010

Here is the list:

University of WI, Madison, Wis.
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore.
Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.
University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind.
University of Texas, Austin
University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D.

Is this about the town or school? I’m asking because South Bend is a god awful city. So much poverty and depression. It’s nothing like Athens or Madison or Boulder!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Disagree that school spirit is only found in D1 schools. Yes, athletic events is a big way that 'spirit' is formed, but the other big way is a school steep in traditions. Rice is a great example. Also Dartmouth. Neither are big sports 'rah rah' schools but they have a huge amount of school spirit through their regular drumbeat of school traditions.

+1. My SLAC had tons of school spirit - traditions, community organizations throughout campus, events that happened each year on campus, legacy parents/grandparents, a very strong honor code. Yes, we had sports but Homecoming was really the only game you ever went to, and it was fun. I always tell my kids I would go back in a heartbeat.

Are you willing to name the school? It would help those of us who are navigating this with our kids.