Ranking the 50 Best Fan Traditions in Sports

Some of the most iconic rituals across the sports landscape have rich origin stories and have undergone a yearslong organic evolution to take the shape fans know and love today.

Others have been largely unchanged for decades and are deeply ingrained in a team's fandom, while some newer traditions have quickly climbed to cult status.

To sort out the best of the best, the B/R staff voted on a list of nearly 100 nominees drawn from the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB, as well as the college sports scene.

The result is our ranking of the 50 best fan traditions. Check out what we came up with and stick around for a glimpse into each one's origin story and modern role.

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Team: Penn State Nittany Lions | College Football Venue: Beaver Stadium

Origin Story: The 1948 Cotton Bowl carried significance beyond just the result on the field, as Penn State was asked to leave its two Black players—Wally Triplett and Dennie Hoggard—at home for the matchup with SMU in Dallas, Texas. The Nittany Lions refused, with team captain Steve Suhey reportedly saying "We're Penn State" to illustrate the team's unity. The game moved forward, and Triplett and Hoggard became the first Black players to appear in the Cotton Bowl.

Modern Role: In the mid-1970s, the Penn State cheerleading squad created the modern call-and-response of "We Are..." and "...Penn State," though it took years to catch on and become the stadium-wide chant that it is today. It has effectively transcended the football team and sports in general to become the universal greeting of Penn State alumni.

Team: Nashville Predators | NHL Venue: Bridgestone Arena

Origin Story: During the Predators' inaugural 1998-99 season, local bar owner Bob Wolf wanted a Tennessee-inspired version of the Detroit Red Wings' octopus toss for the fledgling franchise. Wolf reportedly bought a nine-pound catfish, wrapped it in newspaper and smuggled it into the arena under a baggy jersey, hurling it onto the ice when the Predators scored against Detroit.

Modern Role: The catfish toss has been a franchise staple since 2003, though etiquette surrounding it has evolved. It is now mostly reserved for the postseason and rivalry games, and catfish are generally thrown after the national anthem and before the puck is dropped to avoid potential delay of game penalties for the Predators. Bridgestone Arena even features a live catfish tank, as the team has fully embraced the tradition.

Team: Mississippi State Bulldogs | College Football Venue: Davis Wade Stadium

Origin Story: Cowbells found their way into Mississippi State athletics sometime during the 1930s or 1940s. Legend has it a cow wandered onto the field during a Mississippi State victory over archrival Ole Miss and quickly became a good-luck charm. Cows were brought to subsequent games until that practice was scrapped in favor of the cowbell, and the tradition grew in the 1960s when long-handled cowbells became a staple in the university bookstore.

Modern Role: In 1974, the SEC voted 9-1 to ban artificial noisemakers from sporting events. That ban held until 2010, when the topic was revisited and an exception was made for the Mississippi State cowbells, with strict rules. They can be rung during pregame, halftime, timeouts and immediately following scoring plays, with violations resulting in a potential fine to the university.

Team: Ole Miss Rebels | College Football Venue: University of Mississippi campus

Origin Story: The Grove is a 10-acre plot of land in the center of the Ole Miss campus, and in the 1950s it started to become a popular tailgating spot ahead of football games. Until 1991, fans drove vehicles into the area as they would any other tailgating spot, but a significant rainstorm turned the area into a swampy mess and vehicles were officially banned.

Modern Role: The vehicle ban transformed the tradition into a unique village of pop-up tailgating tents, and standard tailgating has been scrapped in favor of Sunday-best attire and upscale cuisine. The "Walk of Champions" is the pinnacle of the tailgating event. Roughly two hours before the game, the entire football team makes its way through the crowd along a designated brick path, a tradition that began in 1983 with head coach Billy Brewer.

Team: Auburn Tigers | College Football Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium

Origin Story: In 1962, Sewell Hall opened as the new residence hall for the Auburn football team. As players walked the path from their dorm to the stadium, kids began lining the route to ask for autographs. The tradition shifted in 1989, when rival Alabama played the Iron Bowl on-campus at Auburn for the first time after previously meeting at a neutral site. The Tiger Walk path was lined with an estimated 20,000 fans, and the tradition was changed forever.

Modern Role: Auburn players and coaches are now taken by bus to the corner of Donahue and Samford 2.5 hours before kickoff for the Tiger Walk. It is widely regarded as the gold standard of a pregame tradition that has become a staple across college football, and Tiger Walk Plaza further highlights the longstanding tradition.

Team: Cincinnati Reds | MLB Venue: Great American Ball Park

Origin Story: The 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first professional baseball team, and to honor that legacy, Major League Baseball generally scheduled the Reds to host the first game and throw the first pitch of each new MLB season. In 1920, merchants at Findlay Market held a celebration of the team's 1919 World Series title and organized a one-mile march to Redland Field to await the first pitch of the 1920 season.

Modern Role: The Findlay Market Opening Day Parade is now an annual tradition, drawing over 100,000 annual spectators, and it has turned into an unofficial holiday in the surrounding area. Modern scheduling often means the Reds don't throw the official first pitch of the season, but they still almost always open the year with a home series.

Team: Chicago Cubs | MLB Venue: Wrigley Field

Origin Story: Residents of the buildings that line Sheffield and Waveland around Wrigley Field began watching Cubs games from their rooftops as a quirky neighborhood perk when the team started playing there in 1916. It was not until the 1938 World Series that the Sheffield Baseball Club became the first to formally charge for the luxury of watching games atop their building, and by the mid-1980s it had transformed into a lucrative business.

Modern Role: The relationship between rooftop owners and the Cubs organization has been a rocky one in recent decades, with the team suing the owners in 2002 and eventually coming to a 20-year agreement in 2004 where the team would receive 17 percent of the gross revenue from the rooftops. The Cubs now own most of those rooftop buildings, and the addition of video boards during a 2015 renovation has drastically altered the rooftop sightlines.

Team: Arkansas Razorbacks | College Football Venue: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium

Origin Story: A group of farmers attending an Arkansas football game in the 1920s began squealing like hogs to try to encourage a struggling team, and when they pulled out the victory a tradition was born. The next game, a more organized chant was developed, and the "Woo Pig Sooie" cheer had arrived.

Modern Role: The cheer is now accompanied by precise choreography, as fans start with an eight-second "Woooo" while raising their hands over their head, drop them and form a fist for "Pig" and raise their fist into the air for "Sooie" with that cadence repeated three times before the "Razorbacks" closer.

Team: New Orleans Saints | NFL Venue: Caesars Superdome

Origin Story: The phrase "Who dat?" has roots in 19th-century vaudeville shows, and later in early jazz and big band music. On Sept. 1, 1983, local New Orleans sports anchor Ron Swoboda aired a high-energy clip of local high school team St. Augustine chanting "Who dat talkin' bout beatin' St. Aug?" and three days later the chant spontaneously broke out at the Superdome in the Saints' season opener.

Modern Role: Saints head coach Bum Phillips fully embraced the cultural phenomenon during the 1983 season, and it quickly became a rallying cry for the Saints. The chant took on more formal mechanics during the Drew Brees era, and now before every home game kickoff, a designated player or celebrity guest leads the chant at midfield.

Origin Story: WGN Radio director Dan Fabian asked folk singer Steve Goodman to record a song for the station's 1984 broadcast of Cubs games. The catchy, upbeat tune played throughout the '84 season, which culminated in the team's first trip to the playoffs since 1945. The team would rotate through a variety of different victory songs in the years that followed.

Modern Role: The song was dusted off during the team's back-to-back division titles in 2007 and 2008, becoming a postgame singalong tradition at Wrigley Field following every Cubs win. Almost a decade later, it became indelibly linked to the long-awaited 2016 World Series title, and continues to play after every Wrigley Field victory.

Team: Texas A&M Aggies | College Football Venue: Kyle Field

Origin Story: Yell Practice began as a post-dinner activity at Texas A&M in 1913, but it was not until 1931 that the midnight aspect was introduced. A group of freshmen gathered at Puryear Hall decided to meet late at night to practice their cheers ahead of a matchup with rival Texas. Senior yell leaders were informed, and while they could not authorize it, they hinted that they might show up anyway. Word spread throughout campus and Midnight Yell Practice was born.

Modern Role: Now held at midnight on Friday night before every home game at Kyle Field, roughly 25,000 fans regularly attend Midnight Yell Practice for what is quite literally a rehearsal. The 30-minute event ends with stadium lights being shut off and attendees kissing their dates for good luck.

Team: Oklahoma Sooners | College Football Venue: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

Origin Story: The origins of the terminology date back to the 1889 Oklahoma Land Run, as "boomers" were the people petitioning the government to open up the territory for settlement, while "sooners" were those who snuck across the border illegally in advance to claim the best land before it was officially opened up. In the early 1900s, the terms were set to music with a fight song created by mashing up Yale's "Boola Boola" and North Carolina's "I'm a Tar Heel Born" reworked with Oklahoma-centric lyrics.

Modern Role: The marching band now plays "Boomer Sooner" constantly during home games, while the crowd volleys a call-and-response of "Boomer!" and "Sooner!" back and forth across the stadium.

Team: Duke Blue Devils | College Basketball Venue: Cameron Indoor Stadium

Origin Story: Since the mid-1980s, the Duke student section has taken a more organized approach to heckling the opposition than perhaps any other fanbase in sports. Early iterations of the "dirt sheets" on the opposing roster were no holds barred, but the university and head coach Mike Krzyzewski eventually intervened and a more academic approach was adopted.

Modern Role: With the rise of the internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s, digging up dirt on the opposition and getting the student section organized became significantly easier. Before tipoff, students are given a printed research packet of information and the contents are deployed as needed throughout the game when a player steps to the free-throw line or approaches the sidelines.

Team: Sacramento Kings | NBA Venue: Golden 1 Center

Origin Story: Inspired by the large halo illuminated by the Los Angeles Angels after home wins, Kings president of business operations John Rinehart pitched the concept of a similar victory illumination to owner Vivek Ranadivé. They ultimately landed on a high-powered RGB laser projection system that could project a purple beacon hundreds of feet into the air.

Modern Role: The concept was unveiled to the public on Sept. 16, 2022, and the laser was officially activated for the first time on Oct. 29, 2022, following a victory over the Heat. The lighting of the beam has now become a postgame tradition after victories, with a chosen player, coach or celebrity given the honor of pressing a giant, glowing button as the laser is activated.

36. 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' Guest Conductor

Origin Story: Legendary Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray spent years leading a stadium-wide sing-along of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch of games at Wrigley Field. Following his death in February 1998, the Cubs wanted to preserve the tradition and lined up a series of celebrities and local figures to serve as guest conductors. His widow, Dutchie Caray, was the first guest conductor on Opening Day in 1998.

Modern Role: A long list of celebrities and athletes have taken their turn as guest conductors, though the Cubs eventually shifted to focusing mostly on people with a concrete tie to the city of Chicago or the Cubs organization. In lieu of a guest conductor, they also occasionally play clips of performances from Caray on the video board.

Team: Miami Hurricanes | College Football Venue: Hard Rock Stadium

Origin Story: The University of Miami used a green block "M" with an orange outline as its primary athletics logo from 1928 until 1973, when it unveiled the iconic "Split U" logo. It was not until 1992 that cheerleader Bill Tigano was credited with popularizing the actual gesture of throwing up the U, as a response of sorts to Florida's "Gator Chomp" and Florida State's "Tomahawk Chop" to give Miami its own visual symbol.

Modern Role: The popularity of Miami football and the long list of former players who went on to prominence in the NFL have helped the symbol transcend college football game day. From fans in the stands to the surrounding Miami community, it stands as one of the most recognizable and iconic gestures in all of sports.

Team: Buffalo Bills | NFL Venue: Digital

Origin Story: On New Year's Eve 2017, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton threw a game-winning touchdown pass against the Ravens, and in the process punched the Bills' ticket to the postseason. To show their appreciation, Bills fans flooded the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation with $17 donations to match the 17-year playoff drought he had helped snap. The grassroots campaign ended up raising more than $400,000, and the charity blitz idea was born.

Modern Role: Subsequent charity blitzes have been run for a variety of reasons, including one in support of Lamar Jackson's preferred charity, Blessings in a Backpack, after he suffered a concussion against Buffalo in the playoffs. They also raised millions of dollars for the Chasing M's Foundation in the wake of Damar Hamlin's on-field cardiac arrest.

Team: Philadelphia Eagles | NFL Venue: South Philadelphia

Origin Story: After incidents stemming from light pole climbing and a downed traffic signal during the Phillies' run to a World Series title in 2008, Philadelphia city officials began greasing poles with Crisco to deter climbers the following year. Not just celebratory hijinks, pole climbing actually has deep roots in the area, as the South 9th Street Italian Market Festival has featured a 30-foot greased pole climb that dates back to the 1960s.

Modern Role: The pole greasing took center stage during the Eagles' Super Bowl run in 2018, with shortening and hydraulic fluid applied to poles ahead of the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. It has ultimately had the opposite of the intended impact, serving as an enticing challenge rather than a deterrent to would-be climbers.

Team: Duke Blue Devils | College Basketball Venue: Outside Cameron Indoor Stadium

Origin Story: On Feb. 27, 1986, a group of Duke students decided to get a jump on securing seats to the upcoming basketball game against rival North Carolina by pitching tents outside Cameron Indoor Stadium. The game was not until March 2, but they stuck it out, and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski unofficially endorsed the act when he brought them pizza. One of the students taped a handwritten "Krzyzewskiville" sign to a post, and a fledgling tradition had a name.

Modern Role: From chaotic, free-for-all beginnings, Krzyzewskiville has become a finely tuned machine with a full set of rules and regulations. It has also swelled from that initial three-night campout to a multi-tiered system that is a six-week rite of passage for some. The tradition has survived beyond Coach K's retirement, but the tent city will forever be Krzyzewskiville.

Team: Cleveland Browns | NFL Venue: Huntington Bank Field

Origin Story: During training camp in 1985, Browns cornerbacks Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield started barking at each other whenever the defense would record a sack or force an incompletion. The practice spread throughout the defense and eventually into the stands, as fans started barking along. Prior to the start of the preseason, Dixon and Minnifield painted a sign that read "Dawg Country, No Cats Allowed" and hung it in front of the east bleachers at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

Modern Role: The fans sitting in the east bleachers were quickly deemed The Dawg Pound, and they gained a reputation as some of the most dedicated fans in football. Barking, dog masks and comically large bones are all staples. The tradition continues at the team's current stadium, with Sections 118-122 and Sections 317-323 making up the Dawg Pound.

Team: Green Bay Packers | NFL Venue: Ray Nitschke Field

Origin Story: In 1958, neighborhood kids began gathering around newly opened City Stadium (later Lambeau Field) on their summer break, and they began offering their bikes to Packers players making the trek down to camp at the team's practice fields. Shortly after, the tradition was fully embraced by legendary head coach Vince Lombardi.

Modern Role: Today, the path down to Ray Nitschke Field is a paved bike path designed to fully accommodate the tradition, with the path known as DreamDrive. The logistics have evolved to see kids lining up early in the morning to get their bike in prime position to be picked, with signs and decorations to stand out from the crowd. An elite example of a team immersing itself in the surrounding community.

Origin Story: A group of regular bleacher attendees who wore yellow hard hats dubbed themselves "Bleacher Bums" during the 1969 season. One of their founders, Ron Grousl, threw a Hank Aaron home run ball back to the umpire on the field in 1970 and later told reporters he did not want an "enemy" ball, and a new Wrigley Field tradition was born.

Modern Role: The tradition lives on today, thanks in large part to unwavering pressure from the Wrigley Field fanbase. Chants of "Throw it back!" break out if an opponent's home run ball is not immediately returned from the bleacher seats. Fans have gotten wise to the expectation, and bringing a "decoy" ball in anticipation of needing something to throw onto the field is not uncommon.

Team: New York Yankees | MLB Venue: Yankee Stadium

Origin Story: The "Bleacher Creatures" in Section 39 in the right field bleachers at the old Yankee Stadium were always an organized cheering section, and their back-and-forth interactions with players began in 1998. First baseman Tino Martinez became the first Yankees player to develop a rapport with the right field fans, led by " Megaphone John ," and acknowledged when they chanted his name.

Modern Role: Today, Section 203 is the home of the Bleacher Creatures at the new Yankee Stadium, and the "Roll Call" takes place in the top of the first inning of every home game. Fans work their way around the diamond, excluding the pitcher and catcher who are warming up, and chant each player's name one by one until they respond with a signature gesture back to the fans.

Team: Army/Navy/Air Force | College Football Venue: Various

Origin Story: There is not one singular origin story for Army, Navy and Air Force all performing push-ups to celebrate a scoring play in football, and the tradition has been a part of military academy football for decades. Historically, it was the military academy equivalent of freshmen who were tasked with the grueling display of fitness.

Modern Role: The tradition has always been push-ups for the cumulative number of points the team has after the scoring play, not just the points scored on that play. The 385 push-ups done during Army's 70-14 victory over Houston in the 2018 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl were a national story , and the push-ups remain a signature part of military academy football games.

Team: Boston Red Sox | MLB Venue: Fenway Park

Origin Story: The first time "Sweet Caroline" was played at Fenway Park can be traced back to a 1997 game when Amy Tobey, who was in charge of picking the ballpark music, played the song to honor a friend who had just had a baby and named her Caroline. In the years that followed, it was played occasionally, but with no regularity or significance.

Modern Role: In 2002, executive vice president of public affairs Dr. Charles Steinberg identified the potential "transformative powers" of the song to raise the energy in the stadium. They settled on the middle of the eighth inning, before the Red Sox came to bat, and it stuck. The audio fade-out to hear the entire stadium sing the "Bum, bum, bum!" and "So good! So good! So good!" parts has become an iconic part of Fenway Park baseball, and the song took on additional meaning when Neil Diamond performed it live in the first home game following the Boston Marathon bombing.

Origin Story: While visiting Manhattan restaurant and nightclub "Le Club" in 1980, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner heard Frank Sinatra's recording of "New York, New York" for the first time. After writing to Sinatra and getting his permission, it became the team's postgame anthem. For years, Sinatra's version played after wins and Liza Minnelli's original 1977 version played after losses.

Modern Role: Minnelli eventually complained about her version being tied to losing, and the team began using the Sinatra version after every game, win or lose, in the mid-'90s. That tradition was unchanged for decades until 2025, when the Yankees began playing a rotating selection of Sinatra songs after losses, including "That's Life," returning "New York, New York" to a win-only role.

Team: New York Jets | NFL Venue: MetLife Stadium

Origin Story: Fans Larry Mack and Don Schaeffer are credited with beginning the "J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!" as they began the simple rallying cry from opposite ends of the upper bowl in an effort to fire up the crowd. Edwin Anzalone sought to bring that same energy to the lower bowl, and the former New York firefighter, who is better known as "Fireman Ed," has been leading the chant since 1986.

Modern Role: Now a fully integrated part of the game-day experience at MetLife Stadium, fans are prompted by video boards, the team's band and sometimes franchise legends. While "Fireman Ed" no longer serves as the singular face of the chant, his appearances on the stadium video boards still fire up the crowd, and the ritual has transcended its humble beginnings.

23. World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party

Team: Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs | College Football Venue: EverBank Stadium

Origin Story: Florida Times-Union sports editor Bill Kastelz is credited with coining the name of the annual Florida vs. Georgia football game in the 1950s after he witnessed a drunk fan offer a drink to an on-duty police officer. It has been played at a neutral site since 1933, aside from a two-year stint while the Gator Bowl was rebuilt, with Jacksonville, Florida, chosen as a geographic middle ground.

Modern Role: The city of Jacksonville dropped the nickname in the 1980s due to safety concerns and pushback from the public, and in 2006 both schools and the SEC requested it not be referenced on air. Turns out, it wasn't the nickname that drove the massive tailgating party, and it remains an annual tradition. With EverBank Stadium being renovated, it will be played elsewhere until 2028.

Team: Philadelphia Eagles | NFL Venue: Lincoln Financial Field

Origin Story: In 1955, ad men Charles Borrelli and Roger Courtland wrote "The Eagles' Victory Song." It was five minutes long, started with the line "Fight, Eagles Fight" and was used in conjunction with a performance by the team's marching band. It fell out of use by the 1980s, but served as the foundation for what would become a modern fixture.

Modern Role: The song was resurrected in 1998 with significant changes, as it was shortened to 33 seconds, the key was changed and the opening line was changed to "Fly, Eagles Fly" while "E-A-G-L-E-S" was added to the end of the track. It is now played after every Eagles touchdown, sparking a stadium-wide singalong, and stands as the unofficial greeting of Eagles fans.

Team: Minnesota Vikings | NFL Venue: U.S. Bank Stadium

Origin Story: The Vikings commissioned local music shop Groth Music to build them a custom Gjallarhorn ahead of the 2007 season. The instrument has roots in Norse mythology, and the store's general manager designed and built them a 10-foot-long version that was a fully functional, playable horn to be used as part of pregame introductions.

Modern Role: When the team opened U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016, a larger Gjallarhorn was installed on a platform overlooking the field, and it is now sounded by an "Honorary Viking" each game. The horn now also signals the start of the Skol Chant, which is a building, overhead clap accompanied by "Skol!" which was borrowed directly from the Iceland national soccer team following the Euro 2016 tournament.

Team: Las Vegas Raiders | NFL Venue: Oakland Coliseum/Allegiant Stadium

Origin Story: Inspired by the Cleveland Browns' famous Dawg Pound, Raiders fan Rob Rivera and a group of friends set out to establish a similarly feared fan section at the Oakland Coliseum shortly after the team's return from Los Angeles in 1995. They purchased season tickets together in Section 105 in the south end zone and quickly cultivated a culture of die-hard fandom in what came to be known as The Black Hole.

Modern Role: The Black Hole relocated with the team to Allegiant Stadium when it moved to Las Vegas, with many of the longtime members again purchasing south end zone season tickets. However, the impact now stretches beyond just game day, as The Black Hole is a legitimate fan club with dues-paying members and multiple chapters.

Origin Story: Facing off against top-ranked Centre College in the Dixie Classic bowl game in 1922, Texas A&M was a clear underdog playing with a roster that was significantly depleted by injuries. As the game wore on, Aggies coach Dana X. Bible remembered that a former football player who was now only playing basketball named E. King Gill was in the press box. He called him down to the field, had him put on a uniform, and he stood waiting on the sidelines in case he was needed for the rest of the game. The Aggies won the game 22-14, and when the game ended Gill was the only player left on the Texas A&M sidelines.

Modern Role: Despite not playing in the game, Gill's readiness to help the team became an enduring symbol. The entire student body is now known as The 12th Man, and they stand for the entirety of every home football game to show their support in the same way Gill did. The university also trademarked "12th Man" and "Home of the 12th Man" and has successfully defended the trademark more than 500 times.

Team: West Virginia Mountaineers | College Football Venue: Milan Puskar Stadium

Origin Story: Is there a more obvious fit than John Denver's hit song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and a stadium full of West Virginia football fans singing along? The connection was made almost immediately, as the song was released in 1971, and by 1972 the marching band performing it had become a staple at home games. On Sept. 6, 1980, Denver performed the song live during the pregame festivities to help celebrate the opening of Mountaineer Field, now Milan Puskar Stadium.

Modern Role: Starting in 2002, the song became the team's victory anthem, with head coach Rich Rodriguez joining his players on the field to sing along with the crowd after home wins. That morphed into the team and the fans linking arms in a more unified celebration in the years that followed, and it has since expanded to encompass all of West Virginia athletics.

Team: Kansas Jayhawks | College Basketball Venue: Allen Fieldhouse

Origin Story: "Rah, Rah, Jayhawk, KU" was the original chant, and it was created by chemistry professor E.H.S. Bailey and his colleagues as a rallying cry for the science club in 1886. In the years that followed, "Rah, Rah" was changed to "Rock Chalk" to pay homage to the chalky limestone rock on campus and because it was a cleaner rhyme. The chant then gained national recognition when President Teddy Roosevelt reportedly called it "the greatest college cheer ever devised."

Modern Role: Before basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse, the crowd sings the school's alma mater, which immediately leads into the "Rock Chalk, Jayhawk" chant, with two slow, eerie repetitions followed by three rapid-fire ones. Since the 1990s, the slow cadence of the chant has also been used at the end of games when a Kansas win has become a foregone conclusion to signal imminent victory.

Team: Auburn Tigers | College Football Venue: Magnolia Avenue and College Street

Origin Story: Former Auburn running back Sheldon Toomer founded Toomer's Drugs in 1896, and it housed the only telegraph in town at the time. When news came through of a Tigers road win, employees would toss the telegraph's ticker tape onto nearby power lines to signal the victory to the community.

Modern Role: Prior to the 1972 Iron Bowl, Auburn halfback Terry Henley told reporters: "We're going to beat the No. 2 out of Alabama." They did just that, returning two blocked punts for touchdowns in the fourth quarter to upset the unbeaten Crimson Tide by a 17-16 score. In celebration of that quote, fans toilet-papered those same power lines and much of the surrounding area known as Toomer's Corner, and that tradition lives on today to celebrate any and all major athletic achievements at the university.

Team: Florida Gators | College Football Venue: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Origin Story: During an away game at Mississippi State in 1981, Florida pep band members Rob Hyatt and Monty Musgrave observed the Bulldogs' cheerleaders coordinating with the band's tuba section playing the Jaws theme song. Inspired to create a new song and cheer of their own based on the popular film, they performed "Gator Jaws" for the first time the following week at LSU before unleashing it at home for the first time on Oct. 10, 1981.

Modern Role: After navigating some legal hurdles with Jaws soundtrack composer John Williams, the University of Florida landed on "Gator Chomp" as the name of the composition and cheer. It now stands as one of the most recognizable symbols in college sports, and its beauty is in its simplicity, with a stadium full of fans performing what is essentially a straight-armed vertical clap.

Team: Ohio State Buckeyes | College Football Venue: Ohio Stadium

Origin Story: In 1942, a group of U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS Lexington began chanting "O-H-I-O S-T-A-T-E" to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as big Buckeye fans. One of them, Matthew Sidley, later became a cheerleader at Ohio State and introduced the cheer to the fans at Ohio Stadium on Nov. 1, 1947. It was ultimately too long to truly catch on, but a shortened "O-H-I-O" chant caught on.

Modern Role: A stadium-wide chant with each quadrant responsible for one letter of the O-H-I-O chant now roars through Ohio Stadium on game days. However, it stretches well beyond the walls of the football stadium, and any Ohio State fan anywhere in the world can chant "O-H!" and expect to hear "I-O!" from any nearby Buckeyes supporter.

Team: Tennessee Volunteers | College Football Venue: Neyland Stadium

Origin Story: Written in just 10 minutes at the Gatlinburg Inn by husband-and-wife songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, "Rocky Top" became a bluegrass hit after it was recorded by the Osborne Brothers in 1967. The Tennessee-centric lyrics found their way into Neyland Stadium for the first time on Oct. 21, 1972, when band director W.J. Julian played it during the halftime show, and the crowd immediately responded.

Modern Role: The song is now fully intertwined with Volunteers athletics, serving as a game day anthem, rallying cry and nickname for the university and its fans. The band plays it relentlessly during home football games to celebrate every Tennessee touchdown, takeaway and any other key play.

Team: Virginia Tech Hokies | College Football Venue: Lane Stadium

Origin Story: Virginia Tech installed its first video board at Lane Stadium ahead of the 2000 season, and that meant it needed a song to serve as the team's intro music when it entered the stadium. Metallica's "Enter Sandman" was the pick over "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses and "Sirius" by The Alan Parsons Project, but no one could have predicted it would create one of the greatest walkout traditions in sports.

Modern Role: On Dec. 1, 2001, members of the university pep band started jumping around in an attempt to stay warm on a particularly cold night, and fans soon followed suit as it spread throughout the stadium. That has morphed into a synchronized, stadium-wide jump from the more than 65,000 fans that pack the stadium, and on multiple occasions the impact has registered on a nearby seismograph. Essentially, the crowd has created mini earthquakes with the tradition.

Origin Story: The first Penn State White Out was the brainchild of football communications director Guido D'Elia, though it was limited to the student section for its debut on Oct. 9, 2004. The fledgling tradition garnered national attention during a high-profile showdown with No. 6 Ohio State the following year, and expanded to a full-stadium whiteout for the first time on Sept. 8, 2007, against Notre Dame.

Modern Role: The White Out Game is now an annual tradition reserved for what is viewed as the biggest home game of the year, and it is generally a night game. Beaver Stadium holds more than 100,000 fans, and the blizzard-like sea of white creates a claustrophobic effect for the opposition.

Team: Iowa Hawkeyes | College Football Venue: Kinnick Stadium

Origin Story: In early 2017, the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital opened a new 12-story building across the street from Kinnick Stadium, and its "Press Box Cafe" on the top floor featured giant windows with a clear view of the football field. Later that year, Hawkeyes fan Krista Young shared the idea on Facebook that fans should turn and wave to the patients during the team's upcoming game against Wyoming. At the end of the first quarter of that game on Sept. 2, 2017, more than 60,000 fans turned to the hospital and waved in unison.

Modern Role: The touching moment immediately took root, winning Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award that year. It is now a standing tradition at the conclusion of the first quarter of every home game with players, coaches and referees now part of the wave, and because it requires a 180-degree turn facing away from the field to look at the hospital, there is no mistaking the moment. For night games, the wave is performed by phone flashlights, creating an even more striking visual.

Team: Detroit Red Wings | NHL Venue: Little Caesars Arena

Origin Story: Brothers Jerry and Pete Cusimano, who owned a fish market in Detroit's Eastern Market, tossed a four-pound octopus onto the ice after Red Wings star Gordie Howe scored the first goal of Game 4 of the 1952 Stanley Cup Final. The Red Wings went on to clinch the title that night, completing an 8-0 run through the postseason, and the eight-legged critter was immediately labeled a good-luck charm.

Modern Role: Fans now have to go to great lengths and pay a steep price to keep the tradition alive. The go-to method for smuggling them into the arena is to boil them and affix them to your body under a baggy jersey. The act can result in an immediate ejection and a misdemeanor citation from the Detroit Police Department with a hefty fine. Despite that, the octopus toss endures, and the franchise continues to embrace it by way of its official mascot Al the Octopus.

Team: Green Bay Packers | NFL Venue: Lambeau Field

Origin Story: The term "cheesehead" began as an insult by Chicago sports fans for their neighbors to the north in Wisconsin, throwing shade at the dairy capital of the world. In 1987, Milwaukee resident Ralph Bruno leaned into the moniker, cutting a piece of polyurethane foam into a triangle, burning holes into it to give it a Swiss cheese look and spray-painting it cheddar yellow. He wore his creation to a Brewers vs. White Sox game and it was an immediate hit, inspiring him to start selling them before he eventually founded Foamation Inc.

Modern Role: Despite its baseball roots, the unique headwear overtook Lambeau Field in the mid-1990s as Brett Favre and the Packers rose to prominence on their way to a Super Bowl XXXI victory. In 2023, the team acquired Bruno's Foamation Inc., taking full control of manufacturing and distribution, and the cheeseheads are now arguably the most recognizable piece of fan attire in sports.

Team: Wisconsin Badgers | College Football Venue: Camp Randall Stadium

Origin Story: "Jump Around" by House of Pain is an elite hype song, and injured tight end Ryan Sondrup suggested it when asked by assistant athletic director Kevin Kluender for songs to play during lulls in Wisconsin football game action. It was played during the team's homecoming game against Purdue on Oct. 10, 1998 in an effort to inject some energy into the crowd before the fourth quarter, and the Camp Randall faithful sprang to action, starting in the student section and spreading throughout the stadium.

Modern Role: The tradition caught on to the level that by 2003, the university had to ban its playing when construction on the upper deck of the stadium raised concerns that the vibration could compromise structural integrity. Engineers determined things were sound, the song was reinstated and the tradition lives on. With 80,000 fans bouncing in unison, the stadium sways, TV cameras bounce and university seismographs regularly pick up activity.

Team: San Francisco Giants | MLB Venue: Oracle Park

Origin Story: Pacific Bell Park opened in 2000 as the new home of the Giants, and the stadium was designed with a 24-foot-high wall in right field that sits just 309 feet from home plate and nestles up to McCovey Cove. A left-handed slugger could hit the ball directly into the water if he turned on a pitch, and on May 1, 2000, Barry Bonds delivered the stadium's first "Splash Hit" into the cove.

Modern Role: The opening of the new park lined up with Bonds' run of four straight NL MVP wins, and his record-setting 73-homer season in 2001 saw fans camp out in McCovey Cove on kayaks hoping to grab a historic souvenir. The "Splash Hit" tally now stands at 111, with 35 of those belonging to Bonds, and kayaks are a staple outside Oracle Park.

Team: Texas Longhorns | College Football Venue: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium

Origin Story: There might not be a more humble origin story than University of Texas student H.K. Pitts making shadow puppets, noticing that extending your index finger and pinky finger resembled a longhorn steer's head and sharing that with yell leader Harley Clark. At a pep rally shortly after, Clark made the gesture and told the students in attendance: "This is the official hand sign of the University of Texas, to be used whenever and wherever Longhorns gather."

Modern Role: The sign immediately took hold at the next day's game, and decades later an entire stadium of fans make the gesture while the team's fight song or school alma mater plays. It has transcended Texas sports to be the universal alumni symbol, and holds enough power that "Horns Down" has become something of a counter gesture for opposing fanbases and players alike.

Team: Alabama Crimson Tide | College Football Venue: Bryant-Denny Stadium

Origin Story: Before they were the Crimson Tide, the Alabama team was known as the "Thin Red Line" or the "Crimson White" until a rain-soaked game against a heavily favored Auburn team in 1907 ended in a surprising 6-6 tie. Sports editor Hugh "Doc" Roberts at the Birmingham Age-Herald wrote that the team looked like a "Crimson Tide" with their jerseys covered in the iron-rich mud of the region.

Modern Role: The "Crimson Tide" origins met the "Roll Tide" rallying cry in 1926 when Ethelred "Epp" Sykes won a contest to write Alabama's official fight song, which ended in: "Crimson Tide, Roll Tide, Roll Tide!" Now it is a universal greeting and goodbye, expression of thanks, gesture of agreement and everything in between for Alabama alumni and Crimson Tide fans alike.

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers | NFL Venue: Acrisure Stadium

Origin Story: Steelers radio broadcaster Myron Cope was approached by station executives prior to a 1975 playoff game against the Baltimore Colts to come up with an accessible marketing gimmick that fans could bring into the stadium. He landed on gold hand towels, and when local stores didn't have enough to accommodate the request, fans were instructed to simply bring any yellow or gold towel they could get their hands on. The visual spectacle of 30,000 fans waving their towels over their heads in a 28-10 victory was a hit.

Modern Role: WTAE radio partnered with department store Gimbels to create the first branded version of the towels the following year, dubbed "Myron Cope's Terrible Towel," and they became a cultural phenomenon thanks to the "Steel Curtain" era's success. In 1996, Cope gifted the towel's trademark to the Allegheny Valley School, which cares for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with a portion of every sale going to the school and millions of dollars raised to date.

Team: Buffalo Bills | NFL Venue: Highmark Stadium tailgates

Origin Story: The "Bills Mafia" moniker was coined as a Twitter hashtag in 2011 by fan Del Reid, while wide receiver Stevie Johnson helped popularize it during his time with the team. Always known for their rowdy tailgates, which were often the highlight of Sunday during some lean years for the franchise, the fans' backyard wrestling-style table-smashing gained national attention in 2015 when videos of the act went viral.

Modern Role: From people jumping off the roof of their trucks and RVs to tables being set on fire, the tradition has become as much a part of Bills football as the game going on inside Highmark Stadium. While table-smashing is prohibited in team-controlled parking lots for safety reasons, the 20-foot-tall broken folding table monument on the concourse at Highmark Stadium is a clear nod to the practice being a part of the fan culture.

Origin Story: The first "Lambeau Leap" occurred on Dec. 26, 1993, when safety LeRoy Butler took a lateral from Reggie White as he was being tackled following a fumble recovery and scored a touchdown. The play helped the Packers clinch their first playoff berth in over a decade, and out of sheer excitement, Butler launched himself over the wall of the south end zone and into the crowd of Packers fans in Section 133.

Modern Role: Wide receiver Robert Brooks popularized the move in 1995 when he began regularly doing it after scoring touchdowns, and Associated Press writer Arnie Stapleton is credited with coining the term while describing Brooks' signature move in December 1995. It is now the ultimate symbol of the Packers' bond with the community and their unique publicly owned status, literally erasing the barrier between team and crowd in one celebratory moment.