So you think you know college football? See yourself as an expert on schools and traditions? Well, as Lee Corso might say “not so fast my friends.” Test your college football knowledge with this college football trivia quiz!
Play it with your friends before a game (or during a blowout), in a bar or heck, even as a drinking game. Some questions can be searched but others require true knowledge. See if you know more than the other guy – or gal.
College Football Trivia Questions
(Answers below)
• Why does the Alabama Crimson Tide have an elephant for a mascot?
• How did the USC Trojans get their nickname?
• Why does USC play at Notre Dame in October and in LA in November?
• Why are USC’s cheerleaders called the Song Girls?
• What is the name of the LSU majorettes?
• How did the Georgia Bulldogs get their nickname?
• What is the nickname of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium?
• What is the nickname for the Georgia Florida game? Bonus: How did it get that name?
• What happened to the Auburn War Eagle during its debut?
• What happened to the first Texas mascot, Bevo, after its debut?
• What is the South’s oldest rivalry?
• What is the official fight song of the University of Tennessee?
• Why are Tennessee’s colors orange and white?
• How many National Championships did Steve Spurrier win at Florida?
• Which school has won the most Heisman Trophies?
• What is the significance of Ohio State’s marching band’s “dotting of the i”?
• Why does Michigan’s fight song has a line that says “conquerors of the West” when the school is in the Midwest?
• What college stadiums are located on the water?
• What is tailgating called at the University of Washington?
• What is the Volunteer Navy?
• What was Virginia Tech’s nickname before the Hokies?
• Which school has won the most National Championships?
•Which school has the most all-time wins?
• Which school has the best winning percentage?
College Football Trivia Answers
• Why does the Alabama Crimson Tide have an elephant for a mascot? The actual nickname of Alabama sports teams is the Red Elephants. They became known as the Crimson Tide at the Rose Bowl in 1925, the game that established the championship traditon that is Alabama football when the under-regarded team defeated what the national media thought was the invincible Washington Huskies. Afterward a sportswriter, alluding to Alabama’s jersey colors, wrote that “mighty Washington was washed away by a powerful crimson tide.” And that became the school’s unofficial nickname. Frankly, it’s way better than the Red Elephants anyway.
• How did the USC Trojans get their nickname? When USC started its athletic program, the school president asked the sports editor of the Los Angeles Times to suggest a nickname and he said the Trojans to demonstrate the fighting spirit of the team. That works well during certain times but now???
• Why does USC play at Notre Dame in October and in LA in November? Because when the rivalry started, which was created by the wives of the two coaches at the time, USC agreed to play but refused to go to Notre Dame in November because of the cold weather there. Yes, Southern Californians are indeed weather wimps.
• Why are USC’s cheerleaders called the Song Girls? Because when a large universityh doner, a guy named Doheny, gave money he did so under the stipulation that USC would never have cheerleaders (he must have had a very jealous wife). So to sidestep this, USC created th eSong Girls. And they do much more than cheer in those famous sweaters and pleated skirts: they dance to choreographed routines and after home games perform with the band in front of the student section. They are college football’s best cheerleaders.
• What is the name of the LSU majorettes? The LSU Golden Girls
• How did the Georgia Bulldogs get their nickname? The school president at the time was from Yale, which are the Bulldogs.
• What is the nickname of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium? ‘Tween the hedges, because hedges line the sidelines along the wall behind the bench.
• What is the nickname for the Georgia Florida game? Bonus: How did it get that name? The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Bonus answer: Again, credit a sportswriter. One was walking through the crowd and when he got to the press box, somewhat dazed, he turned to another scribe and said, “it’s the world’s largest cocktail party out there!”
• What happened to the Auburn War Eagle during its debut? It died.
• What happened to the first Texas mascot, Bevo, after its debut? It was eaten by the team.
• What is the South’s oldest rivalry? Georgia-Auburn, dating to 1892.
• What is the official fight song of the University of Tennessee? No, it’s not “Rocky Top.” It’s called “Down The Field.”
• Why are Tennessee’s colors orange and white? Because that was the color of the flowers that grew on “the Hill” behind Neyland Stadium. The Hill, by the way, is now concrete steps due to the expansion of the stadium.
• How many National Championships did Steve Spurrier win at Florida? Only one, one less than Urban Meyer at the school.
• Which school has won the most Heisman Trophies? Fight on! It’s USC with 8. Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oklahoma have 6 each.
• What is the significance of Ohio State’s marching band’s “dotting of the i”? This is an honor that goes to a VIP or celebrity with Ohio (or Ohio State) roots, or fourth or fifth year saxophone player in the “TBDBITL (The Best Damed Band In The Land).” This puts the finishing touch on the band’s Script Ohio, a tradition that dates back to 1936. Interestingly, “while many point out that a similar formation of “Ohio” was performed by the University of Michigan Marching Band in 1932, it was not performed as the classic, constantly flowing script that has become the — literal — signature of The Ohio State University Marching Band,” according to the Ohio State football website.
• Why does Michigan’s fight song has a line that says “conquerors of the West” when the school is in the Midwest? Because at the time it was written in 1898 the Wolverines won the Western Conference, which later became the Big 10.
• What college stadiums are located on the water? Neyland Stadium, University of Tennessee; McLane Stadium, Baylor; Husky Stadium, University of Washington.
• What is tailgating called at the University of Washington? Sailgating. Get it? The stadium is on the water and several people tailgate on boats.
• What is the Volunteer Navy? The boats which tie up to docks and other boats so people can tailgate on the Tennessee River before University of Tennessee football games.
• What was Virginia Tech’s nickname before the teams became the Hokies? The Gobblers. Seriously.
• Which school has won the most National Championships? Alabama, with 18. All legit, dating back to 1925. The most recent was 2020. Notre Dame, in case you are wondering, has 11 and not one since 1988 under Lou Holtz.
• Which school has the most all-time wins? Michigan, with 1,012 entering the 2025 season. Ohio State is second with 978 followed by Alabama with 974.
• Which school has the best winning percentage? Ohio State, at .735. Alabama and Michigan are tied for second at .733. Notre Dame is at .732.
Leave a Reply