College Football's 25 Best Spring Football Environments

With January only recently in the books, it hardly seems time to start talking about April showers bringing May flowers, but that’s literally just around the corner.

Yes, since top rated February recruiting classes bring future September wins in en masses the next obvious item on our college football calendar is the delights of spring football.

And, as we all know, spring practice culminates with the spring game which if nothing else means that only a mere summer separates a great football people from their destiny.

And it’s a fine fate indeed…a delectable season jam-packed with full-tilt collegiate gridiron action.

The following slideshow serves as a guide to the 25 best spring college football environments and ranks them for your pleasure.

Regardless of how you rate the importance of March/April practices and intra-squad scrimmages these are the locales that offer the most excitement, anticipation and the huge dose of passion you’d expect from the greatest team sport in America.

Stay ready, my friend.

25. USC

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 14, 2012, 1:30 PM PST, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Even though the Trojans enticed only 16,850 fans to attend their 2011 spring game (the lowest in our prestigious rankings), this number has to be put in perspective as then USC was still operating under the dark clouds of the postseason ban.

Coming into 2012 the ban has been lifted and after a very promising 10-2 finish last season and good news on who’s coming back to campus, this year’s spring atmosphere in LA ought to be amped up considerably.

Now you just have to wonder what Lane Kiffin will look like in his spring wardrobe…perhaps a sundress and Crocs?

24. West Virginia

2012 Spring Game: Schedule not yet released.

Regardless of whether the Mountaineers remain in the Big East for 2012 or go giant hunting down in the Big 12, the excitement surrounding and appetite for West Virginia football should be at an all-time high.

The Mountaineers not only hit 10 wins in 2011, but they left a delicious taste in the mouths of their fanbase with a rollicking 70-33 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

Add in the fact that West Virginia has averaged over 21,000 fans at its last two spring games, and you’ve got a recipe for excitement.

And couch burning?

 

23. Oklahoma

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 14, 2012, Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

After drawing only 16,481 fans to their 2010 spring game, the Sooners lured 25,598 of the Oklahoma faithful to their intra-squad scrimmage in 2011.

With a probable spot in the preseason Top 5, expectations, excitement and attendance all should be part of the forecast for Norman, OK this April.

 

22. Wisconsin

2012 Spring Game: Schedule not yet released.

Hot on the heels of back-to-back Big Ten titles, football fever should register ably elevated in Madison this springtime.

Despite the clingy claws of winter that are grabbier up north, Wisconsin averages close to 25,000 fans to its spring showcase, and regardless of the attrition in 2012, Badger fans will be fired up.

21. LSU

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, March 31, 2012, Tiger Stadium

Given their zealous fanbase it may be shocking to see LSU this far down on our provocative little list, but the truth is the Tigers don’t enjoy the spring game attendance figures that other major players do.

Over the last two seasons, LSU has welcomed averaged a mere 23,871 fans at its intra-squad display, which is a number that falls astronomically short of other SEC powerhouses

Perhaps a grass-eating booth would help?

20. South Carolina

2012 Spring Game: Schedule not yet released.

In 2011 the Gamecocks improved upon their 2010 spring game attendance of 22,000 by packing the stands with 29,451 South Carolina football enthusiasts.

With an 11-2 finish last season that ended on the high note of soundly beating Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl combined with a possible Top 10 preseason ranking for 2012, the Gamecocks ought to be able to smash the 30,000 mark in attendance at their pre-summer scrimmage.

19. Clemson

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 14, 2012, 4PM EST, Memorial Stadium

The expectations for Clemson in 2011 weren’t necessarily rosy, but still the Tigers packed 27,000 fans into their spring game last season.

For 2012 Clemson will have to completely forget that the Orange Bowl debacle ever happened and ride their 10-4 finish and ACC title season to new levels of spring anticipation.

The Tigers have lots of areas to address moving forwards, but momentum is at an all-time high among an already passionate fanbase meaning this spring ought to be very exciting in Clemson, SC.

18. Notre Dame

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 21, 2012, 1:30PM PST, Notre Dame Stadium

Officially dubbed the “Blue-Gold Game” the Irish welcomed 27,863 fans to its springtime showcase in 2011, and though versus expectations Notre Dame fell short last season, hope reigns eternal in South Bend.

Though the Irish probably won’t garner the Top 10 preseason honors they did in 2011, they’ll still be a Top 25 team, which means that the spring atmosphere ought to be first-class.

17. Ole Miss

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 21, 2012, 1 PM CST, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium

You have to give Ole Miss fans credit on a bunch of different levels, including showing up to their spring football game even when their team has performed historically poorly over the past couple of seasons.

In 2010, 30,000 Rebel fans showed up to what is presently called the Grove Bowl (formerly known as the Red-Blue game) and then 28,000 attended in 2011.

From an overall perspective, Ole Miss is a superior college football destination, and the spring football season is no exception.

I’ve been to this game, and I don’t remember much of it…maybe that’s the way it’s intended to be viewed.

 

16. Michigan State

2012 Spring Game: Scheduled not yet released.

Eternally flying under the football radar, Sparty has averaged around 30,000 fans at its spring game over the past couple of seasons.

Yes, the world wants to talk about the University of Michigan when the truth is East Lansing has got a great atmosphere and winning team all on its own.

And that would be in both basketball and football.

 

15. Oregon

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 28, 2012, Autzen Stadium

After welcoming a mere 25,211 Duck fans to the 2010 spring game, Oregon’s national championship appearance catapulted the attendance of the 2011 scrimmage to an impressive 43,468 fans.

Fresh off a Rose Bowl victory, Oregon should be a preseason member of the elite Top 5 and riding realistic hopes for another shot at the BCS title, which means scrimmage numbers should be stable or perhaps climb even higher.

 

14. Michigan

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 14, 2012, Michigan Stadium

Michigan has averaged approximately 35,000 fans at its recent springtime intra-squad affairs, a number that is bound to explode in 2012.

The Wolverines' 11-2 finish and Sugar Bowl title last season, combined with a strong argument for inclusion in the preseason Top 15, ought to make spring in Ann Arbor as exciting as it’s been in quite some time.

 

13. Mississippi State

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 21, 2012, 5 PM CST, Davis Wade Stadium

Hopes and anticipation have been high enough in Starkville MS the past two seasons to convince an average of 35,000 Bulldog fans to pack a stadium to see their team play against itself in the annual Maroon-White game.

Yes, this tells us that despite the hard-fought 7-6 finish in 2011 and the lowest expectations going into a season since 2009, Mississippi State will still be pumped up about their football squad this spring.

12. Tennessee

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 21, 2012, 2:30 PM EST, Neyland Stadium

Over the past two seasons, Tennessee has averaged over 35,000 people to their Orange and White game, and there is no reason to think that they won’t again garner that same type of participation.

The big question is whether the Volunteer faithful will be showing up to support Derek Dooley in preparation for his third season in Knoxville or whether, instead, they’ll be arriving en masse to remind him that they are a large, loud, zealous group with massive expectations for their beloved program.

11. Arkansas

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 21, 2012, D.W.R. Razorback Stadium

Arkansas tempted 30,000 Hog fans to its 2010 Red-White game and then found an additional 12,000 people to attend in 2011, bringing the number to 42,000.

After yet another successful season under Bobby Petrino and hope that is solidified with a preseason Top 25 slot for 2012, the hog callers should be out in record numbers this spring.

10. Texas

2012 Spring Game: Sunday, April 1, 2012, Darrell K. Royal—Texas Memorial Stadium

The Longhorns 2012 Orange-White game is oddly scheduled on a Sunday that just so happens to be April Fool’s Day.

Though it’s difficult to draw meaning from those two facts, it’s easy to see apathy slipping into the Longhorn fanbase.

Texas drew a whopping 44,250 fans to its 2010 spring game and then suffered a reduction to 29,541 in 2011 on the heels of the 5-7 debacle.

The Longhorns no doubt played better last season, and with all that talent, they’ll be in the preseason rankings again. But will Texas fans rise up once more in expectation of even better things?

My guess is yes, it’s time for the Longhorns to win again which means it’s time for the burnt orange people to be obnoxious, en masse.

 

9. Georgia

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 14, 2012, 2 PM EST, Sanford Stadium

Georgia will enter the 2012 season with raging expectations based on returning starters, a relatively breezy schedule (in SEC terms) and momentum gained from 2011.

All this adds up the annual G-Day game being massively attended…and this is a contest that hosted 43,177 folks last season.

8. Virginia Tech

2012 Spring Game: Schedule not yet released.

Dropping the ACC championship game to Clemson and then losing in overtime to Michigan in the Sugar Bowl is hardly the way to build momentum coming into a new season.

But despite the gut-wrenching finish to 2011, Virginia Tech still went 11-3 and finished ranked No. 21 in a season that had a definite “rebuilding” tone to it.

Rebuilding will be back on the cards in 2012, but so will a preseason Top 25 ranking and an amped up spring atmosphere.

And oh yeah, the Hokie faithful show up to the tune of over 40,000 fans to the spring play-yourself game.

7. Florida

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 7, 2012, 1 PM EST, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Regardless of whether Will Muschamp survives another season in Gainesville and despite the fact that Florida suffered to a relatively catastrophic 7-6 finish in 2011, Gator fans will still support their team en masse, in spring.

Florida has averaged over 51,000 at its last two Orange and Blue debuts, and though this may be the first season in many years that the Gators aren’t preseason ranked, excitement will still be palpable down in the Swamp.

6. Florida State

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 24, 2012, Doak Campbell Stadium

Florida State averages over 52,000 Seminole fans at its annual Garnet and Gold game, meaning that 2012 should be full of equal or greater excitement.

Perhaps Seminole backers are more realistic after having their title hopes squashed with a 9-4 finish in 2011, but with another Top 10 preseason mention likely in 2012, maybe last year’s disappointments will magically transform into this year’s triumphs.

At least that’s what I’d be thinking if I were a Florida State fan, and then I’d go to the spring game just to get a sweet taste of what’s coming.

5. Penn State

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 21, 2012, Beaver Stadium

Though it might be deemed ridiculous to place Penn State so high up our list, this is still the program that has historically put upwards of 55,000 fans in the seats at the annual Blue-White game.

Yes, Penn State has suffered and perhaps they’ve done so by their own hand, but you’ve still got a spirited fanbase that will be ready to show that they still support their team, regardless of what happens next.

On some level, the dawning of the Bill O’Brien era at Penn State will create some level of relief because it will signal the end of the old and the beginning of the new.

And it means the continuance of football for one of the great fanbases in all of college football.

4. Auburn

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 14, 2012, Jordan-Hare Stadium

An eye-popping 63,217 fans showed up to Auburn’s 2010 A-Day spring game, and boy did they get what they wanted later that same season when the Tigers captured the big enchilada by virtue of beating Oregon in the BCS title game.

With nation-leading levels of attrition coming into 2011, it is easy to understand why spring attendance numbers dropped to the neighborhood of 53,000 last year, which also makes the forecast for another rise-up in 2012 easy to predict.

Ironically, Auburn may not see the light of the preseason rankings coming into next season, but look for its fanbase to explode with anticipation.

The Tigers will field a more mature team in 2012, and don’t forget they showed some real spark last year in an 8-5 finish against some of the best opponents in the nation.

3. Ohio State

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 21, 2012, 1:30 PM EST, Ohio Stadium

In fervor and passion, Ohio State could perhaps be dubbed the SEC school of the Midwest.

And this means that regardless of a 6-7 finish in 2011 and despite a postseason ban in 2012 that basically deems the upcoming campaign null of meaning, you shouldn’t assume that the Buckeye faithful won’t storm the Horseshoe this spring.

Yes, they’ll come because they still love their talent-stacked Bucks and they’ll come to see native son Urban Meyer stalk the sidelines in his first intra-squad spring scrimmage at the Ohio State.

Ohio State averages over 65,000 people at its pre-summer football viewing functions (aka the Scarlet and Gray game).

2. Nebraska

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 24, 2012, 1 PM CST, Memorial Stadium

It’s no surprise that one of the best fanbases in our football nation packs its stadium to near capacity every spring.

Yes, Memorial Stadium in Lincoln holds 81,000 Husker fans and Nebraska averages around 73,000 spectators at its annual Red-White spring game.

The bottom line is that the people of Nebraska care enough about their football team to show up even if they are just playing themselves.

You have to respect that, and if you’re making spring football travel plans, Lincoln is a top two destination.

1. Alabama

2012 Spring Game: Saturday, April 14, 2012, Bryant-Denny Stadium

Alabama flat blows the doors off of every other team in the nation in terms of spring football excitement and spring game attendance.

The Tide have averaged a mind-blowing 91,811 fans to its last two A-Day spring games, which means that Bryant-Denny is nearly packed to the gills in April to watch an all Alabama football revue.

Yes, they’re the national champs, and yes, they’ll be back in the hunt in 2012, which means that spring in Tuscaloosa reigns completely and absolutely supreme in terms of football environment.

Everything’s coming up crimson.