Even in the age of the transfer portal and NIL, college football is driven by tradition. Dozens of teams draw over 75,000 fans to games, no matter how hot or cold, and the atmosphere is often the first thing people think of when they think of college football.
A huge part of that comes down to the team entrance, and there are some truly spectacular ones in the sport. Which schools feature among the best college football entrances?
College Football’s Best Entrances
10) Tennessee Volunteers: Running through the T
Simple yet effective, the Tennessee Volunteers run through a lane created by the band. It would seem a bit gimmicky if Neyland Stadium weren’t so loud (or steep), but one of the best college football entrances has been performed since the mid-1980s and is beloved by fans and intimidating for opponents.
9) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Ramblin’ Wreck
Perhaps not as well known as some other entrances on this list, Georgia Tech’s Ramblin’ Wreck is awesome and incredibly unique. Sure, plenty of schools have a mascot or cheerleaders lead them onto the field, but how many others drive a 1930 Ford Model A through the tunnel and to the 50?
8) Texas Tech Red Raiders: Masked Rider
Live animal? Check. Super awesome Princess Bride-looking rider? Check. Electric atmosphere? Check. Texas Tech’s masked rider wears all black, a mask (shocker), and rides a black horse onto the field. I mean, that’s just cool.
7) Clemson Tigers: Howard’s Rock
In this writer’s opinion, Clemson has way too many pregame traditions, but Howard’s Rock and the Hill Run are awesome. The Tigers should drop the ride around the stadium and start directly with Howard’s Rock, an over-100-year-old gift from Death Valley, California to the football team.
Side note: I wonder if the players practice running down the hill. I’d definitely fall.
6) Auburn Tigers: War Eagle
I love a good live animal demonstration. The Eagle circles the stadium while the team runs on the field, and the crowd does a “War Eagle” chant. It’s ridiculously cool and unique. While I know the origin story, this does get bumped down for the Tigers’ most iconic entrance being about an eagle.
5) South Carolina Gamecocks: 2001
This writer may be a little biased, having seen this entrance well over 30 times in his life, but 2001 is truly one of the most spectacular entrances in college football.
Set to the theme of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the team runs onto the field at the climax while mascot Cocky emerges at midfield and 80,000 fans wave white towels. The addition of pyrotechnics and smoke machines in recent years has only added to the allure.
4) Colorado Buffaloes: Running With Ralphie
As far as I know, Colorado is the only school that has a live Buffalo run on the field, and that’s pretty dang cool. Ralphie IV debuted in 2021, and she, along with her handlers, lead the team onto the field on game day at Folsom Field.
While it’s comfortably one of the best college football entrances, Colorado gets bumped down slightly because its overall game-day atmosphere doesn’t quite match our top three.
3) Penn State Nittany Lions: White Out
If there’s an entrance that takes the top spot for its peak, it’s Penn State’s White Out game, which it holds once a season, almost always during a night game. Whenever that game is announced, it comes with huge fanfare and well, a lot of white.
It’s nothing overly creative, just 100,000 screaming fans united by a uniform of white and a hyped team. Since that particular entrance only happens once a year, it gets bumped to third among the best college football entrances.
2) Virginia Tech Hokies: ‘Enter Sandman’
Perhaps college football’s most iconic entrance, Virginia Tech’s stadium arrival onto the field is as simple as they come. All they need is a little Metallica and a bunch of screaming fans.
The result is a raucous environment that has avid college football fans marking their calendars for every Hokie home game.
1) Florida State Seminoles: Chief Osceola
I love watching this one on TV and would love to see it in person one day. Before every home game, “Chief Osceola,” a fully and authentically dressed Seminole, rides his horse, Renegade, to the 50-yard line and plants the flag.
The crowd yells the intimidating Warchant. Schools get bonus points in this exercise when their fans are all chanting the same thing.
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