To be clear, I dont think the membership here has any allegiance issues. We're talking about the many students at our various schools who do not tow the SBC line like us.

we go through nazi purges on hilltopper haven over this issue at times.

having split my youth between orlando and bowling green i became an fsu fan when bobby first arrived. for you newbs....when he arrived at fsu they were the laughingstock of football. he turned them around. i had a family full of gator fans and they made me hate them.

as much as i love the seminoles if they were to ever play western it would be no contest for me. it's western all the way.

i do understand kids that grow up in monkey's eyebrow kentucky and have been uk fans their whole life still liking uk even when they come to western for their degree. but they don't have to be bags about it and disparage western.

i've seen lots of folks that grew up kayutt fans but after their experience at western became western fans first and foremost.

but much like paul.....i'm not an extremist. i'm not gonna lose sleep over seeing folks walking around in other gear.

both of my sons are huge western fans. both been attending games since they were infants. what if western didn't offer the degree they wanted and only uk did? should they abandon a lifelong love of western and never wear western gear in lexington if they chose to attend that vile institution?

On the Troy website this has come up many times. It is just an observation but as generations go by this will be less and less...We just recently had fan day at Troy and there were a few kids wearing little cheer outfits and sports outfits....as these kids grow they do not have the generations before them touting these OTHER schools....as they grow and have kids THEIR schools will be first and foremost.....we are a nubie conference and schools relatively speaking as to BIG time football scene.....10-20 years we will generally not have this converstion....until then we will. As a side note when I first started going to Troy 8-9 years ago there was at least 20% or more of the fans with Auburn or Alabama stuff on as to proclaim "I came to watch football game here because it is now DI and I can not afford to go those other schools, never mind that I went to Troy this is not real football." Well over time and maybe because we had some success but the shirts are few and far between and our students come in much greater number and stay in much greater number for the whole game. So as in Troy and I am sure at other schools, school spirit has a time variable along with those young kids in Troy or other school jerseys wherever you are......It will get better. In just 8-9 years it is better.

I am an FAU Alumni & Fan.

But I have always routed for the home state I live in. So I do route for the North Carolina schools, not a die hard don't follow them all closely, but will route for them.

And Wisconsin just because.

But no other message boards besides FAU's and this one.

GO OWLS!!

(and Badgers, Tar Heels, Moutaineers, Blue Devils, Wolf Pack, Deacons, Catamounts and Pirates from time to time)

Cane fan from as soon as I could understand college football and what it was about. That was the only game in town.

But then FAU got a team and I heard that ole Schnelly was going to be coaching it. My wife was an alum and she was excited so I decided to "keep an eye" on FAU and go to some games for fun.

11 years later Im all FAU, but the Cane's still have a spot in my heart and I pull for them 2nd. Now when the Canes play FAU next year, make no mistake, I WILL be in FAU gear and pulling for the Owls for the win.

I think it's a matter of effort. It takes alot of effort to be a fan of the local Sunbelt school when we're in competition with the SEC schools down the road (MT wrt UTk, ULL wrt LSU, etc, etc).

FWIW, i'm an alum of both Tennessee and MT, and like MT better. I like the feel of getting in on something at the ground floor, I feel like I matter as a fan, rather than just a # with a price tag attached.

It's just flat easier to be a fan of the "bigger" school. It's merchandise is easier to get, it's easier to find them on TV and on the radio and on the internet, there's more talk about them amongst colleagues, etc. Also, it's human nature to jump on a bandwagon.

As for the whole it's easier to be a fan of a big school, sometimes our schools don't do our fans any favors:- MT wants me to drive 5 hours round trip on a Thursday to watch them play an FCS school.

Heck with that, I'm actually skipping MT's first game vs. McNeese to go to the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic UT vs NCState game.

I agree with much of what Doug said, fortunately for me, I'm a young single guy with a pretty flexible work situation, so making it to Murfreesboro from Atlanta next week won't be much of an issue.

Everyone is free to have as many teams as they like to cheer for during the season. The school that you write your checks to for tickets and annual giving is where your true loyalties are going to be found. Whether you attended that school or another school your decision with your checkbook speaks volumes about who is #1 in your heart.

(08-21-2012 02:23 PM)Hemi Man Wrote:  Everyone is free to have as many teams as they like to cheer for during the season. The school that you write your checks to for tickets and annual giving is where your true loyalties are going to be found. Whether you attended that school or another school your decision with your checkbook speaks volumes about who is #1 in your heart.

That may well be very true, but I'm sure a lot of the "mid-major" schools have a portion of the fanbase who are season-ticket holders but would root against their school if a big-name opponent they liked was to play them.

Down here in Broward/Dade county a lot of UM fans are actually FIU Alumni because FIU didn't have a football team while they were at FIU or they grew up watching the Hurricanes. Even though many of our alumni are starting to get behind our program with the recent success I know many of them still root for UM. Some of my classmates and friends have gone both FIU/UM tailgate parties during last couple seasons. FIU has been my team since the inaugural game at new FIU stadium in 2008 (my first collegiate football experience) and the only team I root for. I did not grow up watching the U. I've never been to UM games and I have no attachments to them whatsoever.

I grew up in Diddle Arena watching Western and still love it as much as I did then.

Also at a young age I became enamored with FSU. Had family down in Florida and would go to FSU games from time to time.

Like beed if the two ever played I would be rooting for western.

Lets just say I will enjoy the FSU vs Murray State game more than most.