Category: Because basketball season is upon us, and we’re in the middle of football season, I think a refresher on the rules of college sports fandom is in order:
1) You have one school – the one you went to!
1a) If you went to a lower-division school, you’re allowed to chose a school with either family or regional significance to you, and that is then your team. No switching! That team cannot be Notre Dame unless you have a building named after you there.
2) Grad school – if you went to grad school, you are allowed to root for that team, even allow its performance affect your mood, etc, but your undergrad school always comes first.
2a) If you root for an undergrad school that is not your own, due to rule 1a, your grad school takes pole position in your personal fan hierarchy. Sorry, just the way it works.
3) Rivals-you ALWAYS root against your rival. Not passively, but actively root against them. Note, this does not have to be the “traditional” rival, but more importantly your schools most hated rival. Conference pride, schmonference pride.
4) Conference-you root for teams within your conference (except your rival) when it will help your team, and against when it will hurt your team. In the post season, you root for your conference (again, except the rival).
Addendum:
“What happens when #3 conflicts with #2?”
The rules are pretty clear. Lets say you went to Ohio State for undergrad, and Michigan for Grad school – you would root against Michigan when they play each other.
Or, you went to a lower division school, always rooted for UNC, but are now at Duke for grad school. The rules state that you’re now a Duke fan first, and thus must always root against UNC.
We clear? Go Duke!
Kudos for 1a) Notre Dame comment.
However I’d like to suggest an amendment for #3. You may root for your rival if your spouse went to that school. (And if you disagree, then you must not be married…!)
I think the bigger question is: why would you marry someone from your rival?!?
I think there could be a slight easing of the rules, i.e. you don’t have to actively root against that team all year, except when they play your school. But you can’t root for that team, that’s just unconscionable.
And yes, I am married.
I put it out on Facebook for clarification. I don’t think your chances for an addendum are very good though!
Sports is Sports, Marriage is Marriage…
Sounds easy enough, I went to undergrad at the Illinois Institute of Technology and our sports team sucked. I will be rooting for Duke following the above mentioned rules.
I’m rooting for Duke for the same reason Syed. The University of Delaware might have given me the career path I’m on today, but they didn’t give me anyone to root for in any sport!
It will be somewhat fun this year for March Madness, now that I can claim a powerhouse team. Maybe I’ll even fill out a bracket or two, just to see how it feels…
With our new found smarts, we should be able to prove (using a decision tree, if need be) that Duke is the best choice to root for.
You will be our secret weapon, we will call you “lead statistical modeler”
Tariq – well said. My only retort is that if point 1 is applicable, then point 3 should preclude point 2. The scenario in your example should never happen! As a Michigan grad, I will NEVER attend anything at Ohio State. It may be petty, but its honest.
Good thing that the Duke-Michigan rivalry never really existed as Duke typically owns Michigan in basketball.
Patrick – The reason I picked UM/OSU as an example is because its so extreme, it makes a good case study. I would never expect it to happen in real life. Fact is, its rare that rules 2 and 3 would conflict due to attending grad school at a rival, most people take it seriously enough that they don’t entertain the issue of grad school at a rival (I can’t imagine anyone from UW going to Oregon for grad school, or anyone from Oregon getting into UW for grad school, for example).
You and T-Moore have some money riding on this weeks game?
Point taken.
No money on this weekend. I’d have to get 35+ points to make it tolerable for me.