Ranking College Football's Top Post-Game Party Schools, Final 2011 Edition

Back in early October, we offered up the Top 25 post-game party schools in college football. Now that the regular season is over, we’ve revisited, revamped and re-ranked the best spots to keep the party going.

Yes, the team has left town (perhaps to go bowling), but the celebration is still going strong.

One of the truly fantastic attributes of college football is even though the season ends, the passion never, ever dies.

Indeed, it may transform temporarily into a less volatile form, but the burning flame of a beautiful obsession, a tempting infatuation and a crazed zeal bubbles just under the surface ultimately causing the true fanatic to glow like a Christmas light in the snow.

To honor this blazing ember, here’s 25 localities that keep the light on for fans that need to drown their sorrows, lift a glass to victory, sit back and soak in a great campaign or boost their courage as they look forward to next season.

It’s a travelogue designed to aid the merry-making scheduler bent on making the 2012 season a road tripper's delight.

Schools that dropped from the original rankings: Missouri, Colorado and Penn State.

25. San Diego State

Previous Ranking: 25

The Aztecs present a wide array of opportunities for the enthusiast exiting Qualcomm Stadium with “more” on their mind.

SDSU has San Diego’s vast club and bar scene, Fraternity Row where Greek Life is lively, beaches are a plenty and if all else fails you’ve got Mexico temptingly close by.

In terms of specific areas for celebration check out downtown, the gaslight district, Ocean beach and Pacific beach.

Though San Diego State is not a name regularly associated with “top party school” listings it would be error not to consider it a prime place for postgame revelry.

This entire party package will be, from a football perspective, amped up in short order with recent news of the Aztecs joining the Big East conference.

24. Syracuse

Previous Ranking: 14

Syracuse NY certainly has more of an affinity for basketball than football but that doesn’t mean that the Orange don’t like to put on a postgame display that kicks it hard.

Perhaps hugely underrated from a celebratory standpoint when the Carrierdome releases its 50,000 hounds you should head to the Armory Square or Marshall Street … the ‘Cuse also offers a vibrant Greek scene which is headquartered on Comstock Avenue.

The impending move to the ACC means that football giants such as Miami FL, Florida State and Clemson will soon be rolling into town which amps up the “Syracuse situation” nicely.

23. Illinois

Previous Ranking: 15

A solid Big Ten representative, the Fighting Illini are serious about painting the town red even if their football team is struggling to post W’s.

Add in even a semi-successful gridiron squad and you’ve got pandemonium on the streets of Champaign and Urbana.

Its two towns for the price of one and you should direct your post game GPS to Daniel Street, Green Street or Wright Street for the best gatherings.

Looking for a more specific recommendation?  One of the more traditional dives is Kam’s on East Daniel, an institution that claims to be the “Home of the Drinking Illini.”

It’s one of those places that while it may not emit a pleasant odor it still has all the necessary welcoming qualities to transcend any offenses committed on the senses.

Even though Illinois basically tanked in 2011 (6-0 and then 6-6) incoming head coach Tim Beckman may just be what the Dr. ordered to get a sleeping gridiron giant back to the breakfast table.

22. Oregon

Previous Ranking: NR

The University of Oregon is not going to wow you with flashy, upscale venues in which to whoop it up but that doesn’t mean that when crazed Duck fans leave Autzen that they do without a place to get their Quack on.

Yes, Eugene certainly isn’t Athens, Georgia but maybe that is precisely where the charm of it lies…underwhelming in an overwhelming kind of way.

Hot spots at Oregon are conveniently nearby campus in the 13^th Street area.

Remember, cold towns sometimes have the best celebrations and when you add a championship caliber college football team to the equation…its pandemonium.

21. East Carolina

Previous Ranking: 21

East Carolina and Greenville in general may offer the most underrated merrymaking experience of any of the schools on this list but the Pirates can throw it down and party at the same velocity as their on- field counterparts can pass the ball for an insane number of yards.

The focus of ECU’s party scene is downtown and specifically in the area of Fifth Street where you can find clubs, bars and restaurants that offer an alternative if you can’t get hooked up with a privately sponsored affair.

The real highlight of East Carolina’s social calendar during football season is a Halloween party that competes with any offered in our great nation … think college shenanigans meets rednecks for a county fair where there is a serious lack of rules surrounding decorum.

Halloween 2012 is scheduled for a Wednesday night which offers a perfect lead in to a weekend of “purple haze” infused football.

20. Arizona

Previous Ranking: NR

Another omission from our first listing, Arizona definitely deserves mention when words like “party” and “bash” are thrown around in an institutional setting.

With a new high flying coach and a new attitude combined with what was already an “A” rated celebration, Arizona’s hot spots include 4^th Avenue, Speedway Blvd. and University Blvd.

Arizona may not get the recognition it deserves as a merrymaking town (perhaps it’s the lack of a music scene relative to other university towns) but when fans leave Arizona Stadium it’s never hard work to find a place to keep celebrating.

Want something else to hang your hat on before you book your ticket?

Well, remember the Thursday night game this season when the referee imposter came out of the stands, called a play dead, stripped and then streaked down the field while a fight ensued?

Well, that was in Tucson Arizona, home of the Wildcats.

19. Michigan

Previous Ranking: 23

Ann Arbor is the quintessential college town and therefore offers the overwhelming presentation of choices in terms of postgame parties you’d expect, add to this 110,000 enthusiastic people fleeing Michigan Stadium and you’ve got a prime bash scene.

Downtown Ann Arbor is where most of the choice establishments are including the Brown Jug on South University which is also the name of the prize that the Wolverines and Golden Gophers play for each fall.

Michigan’s football fortunes have already improved under new coach Brady Hoke and after a ten-win BCS season in ’11 the forecast for celebration in ’12 is growing exponentially.

18. Ohio State

Previous Ranking: NR

Perhaps the biggest omission from our first foray into postgame party ranking, THE Ohio State University is a top tier school for advanced festivities.

Ohio State fans gather en mass (and en paint, en beads and en nut necklaces) for Buckeye games and their level of fanaticism (and blinders) is on par with their southern brethren from the SEC and Big 12.

Not unlike Wisconsin, Ohio State is a beacon of hope in the otherwise bleak Midwest and the Buckeyes paint the town red with prime goings on in the Brewery District and downtown.

17. Tennessee

Previous Ranking: 13

Knoxville is impossible to leave off a list for top postgame parties due to the sheer numbers of fanatical Volunteer fans that pour in and then back out of Neyland Stadium on home game Saturdays.

Yes, mix 102,544 parts hardcore football devotees with an already vibrant nightlife near campus and you’ve got revelry and festivity to the max.

Where to tread to after you’ve escaped the pandemonium dome of the checkered end zone?  Well, the Strip and the Old City are sure bets in Knoxville…enjoy the party.

What to wear?  Loud orange and lots of it!

Party hardy forecasters are hoping that Derek Dooley can manage more wins in 2012 if nothing else to keep ample gas in the Tennessee party bus.

16. UCF

Previous Ranking: 18

And this is the one stop on our “best postgame party schools” tour bus where every single passenger gets off, scratches their head and says, “WHAT???”

Yes, welcome to Orlando Florida home of the University of Central Florida and the Knights of the East Division of C-USA.

So, what are we doing here?

Well, welcome to what Playboy touts as the No. 9 best party school in the nation which makes UCF a shoe in for your after game celebration needs.

Yes, the crowd leaves Bright House Networks Stadium (hey, it seats 45,323 people) and the fans of the gridiron Knights have perhaps the biggest swath of “other” opportunities of any place in the USA.

It’s Orlando… the restaurant, club and bar capital of the nation and it’s on this list for a reason.

After next season UCF will amp up its football prospects by becoming a member of the Big East conference who, if everything works out agreeably, offers the Knights a direct line to the BCS.

This just makes Orlando even a better college football party destination.

15. USC

Previous Ranking: 22

Trojan fans are dead serious about their college football and when the Coliseum (capacity 94,000) empties out on Saturdays the surrounding area is well equipped to absorb jubilant or devastated USC supporters.

Besides the Greek scene and private parties, areas with a good concentration of bars and clubs are Sunset Beach, Venice Beach and Westwood with the 901 Club (known as the 9-0) on South Figueroa Street, a local “dive bar” favorite amongst Trojan students.

With USC finally moving out of Sanction-ville in 2012, look for the party scene to become amplified as the Men of Troy once again compete for real live championships.

14. Iowa

Previous Ranking: 20

The formula that makes Iowa City such a great postgame destination is fairly simple…take a city and entire state obsessed with its Big Ten football team and combine that with what is already an above average college town in terms of social gathering opportunities and you’ve got an after game experience that is hard to beat.

There are some huge venues for celebrations in Iowa City and maybe that’s because it’s cold out there on the wind whipped plains, regardless you can count on the Hawkeyes to be out en mass after a game and ready to welcome you to their gridiron gala (which will be even more spirited after a big IOWA win).

After a solid 7-5 effort in Iowa’s 2011 rebuilding campaign look for 2012 to bring both a boost in wins and merriment.

13. UC Santa Barbara

Previous Ranking: 16

UCSB is the only school on our list that doesn’t field a FBS team but the scenery surrounding Santa Barbara makes everyone want to be a Gaucho fan.

The only problem with being a Gaucho football fan is that there is no football team (on any level) to root for but still UCSB makes the list.

Why?

Well, downtown Santa Barbara and Isla Vista are simply legendary for festivities, frolicking and draw college students and merrymaking enthusiasts alike from across the state (and the country).

So, how do we stretch the limits of geography and a serious lack of gridiron action to say that UCSB offers a tremendous “postgame” experience?

Well, let’s say UCLA or USC play a home game in LA and you have approximately two hours to kill … drive 95 short miles northwest on the 101 and you’ve got perhaps the best after game experience in the world.

You’ve got to see it to believe it.

 If you need more proof, a B/R reader informed of us an impressive incident in 2006 that involved some “Gauchoholics” throwing the goal posts in the ocean after UCSB bested UCLA in the NCAA Men’s Soccer National Championship.

The video of the said episode is included here to persuade you further to pack your bags for a postgame visit to Santa Barbara.

12. Arizona State

Previous Ranking: 8

As expected, things heat up quickly in the desert and nothing could prove that dogma more correct in Tempe than a stroll along infamous Mill Avenue which is within walking distance of the ASU campus and offers something for everyone.

Yes, there is plenty to do when the opponent is done “fearing the fork” and if you like your bars situated on both sides of a stacked street, for a night of zigzagging then Tempe is your ultimate destination.

For those wanting to go further afield there is always chic Scottsdale which offers an attractive old town that is overall considerably less rowdy than Mill Avenue after game day.

11. Florida State

Previous Ranking: 12

So, how does Tallahassee FL rank in terms of after game festivities?

Well, you could talk about downtown, Gaines Street, Railroad Avenue and the Tennessee Street Strip and then you could add in a booming Greek scene but for me I like to picture the 80,000 plus Seminole fans finishing up their tomahawk chop and following good Chief Osceola out of Doak Campbell.

The flaming spear is planted on the Strip and the party is on like, well, like Donkey Kong.

It’s hard to beat.

10. Florida

Previous Ranking: 11

The Gator Nation doesn’t mess around at the playing of football, the supporting of their beloved gridiron squad or the celebrating of life in general which gives them the tri-fecta necessary for a tremendous postgame experience.

Walk directly out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and prepared to be welcomed into the open arms of the Swamp (a restaurant, not a return to the field), Gator City, the Ale House, CJ’s and a mind boggling number of alternate establishments standing ready to aid you in your revelry needs.

Its one big huge party in Gainesville on game day and its delicious aftermath do nothing but raise the already lofty bar.

Now, let’s just get Will Muschamp to right the SS Gridiron in 2012 and the party will have a more positive and exuberant flavor.

9. Texas

Previous Ranking: 6

The University of Texas at Austin offers the potential celebrant with a virtual plethora of after game options but the center of UT’s party universe begins and ends on infamous 6^th Street.

Standing the test of time 6^th Streets’ legendary status is indeed well earned and even the visiting fan seeking a watering hole to lick his/her wounds will be hard pressed not to enjoy themselves within its head spinning confines.

After a big Longhorn win the area literally bulges with fans looking for the same experience ecstatic supporters seek all over the nation on a chilly Saturday …only the folks in Austin have a better venue for such revelry.

Outside of the destination that is 6^th Street are current post game favorites such as Stubbs and the Crown and Anchor reminding the discriminating party goer that Austin is a big city with more than one celebratory district.

8. Arkansas

Previous Ranking: NR

It’s almost impossible not to include all the massive southern football schools on our esteemed list because of the simple fact that gridiron passion reigns supreme in the Deep South.

In the spirit of this factual statement, Arkansas has one of the most zealous fan bases in the nation which means that Fayetteville is a serious celebration station.

 When the 72,000 plus Hog Callers empty out of Razorback Stadium you should march confidently towards legendary Dickson Street or perhaps the Square and then prepare to be wowed with what happens when Pig Hats combine with cocktails.

Yes, when you delicately combine Grade AAA SEC football, exuberant fans and a college town you’ve got a textbook, top tier post-game party situation.

7. Ole Miss

Previous Ranking: 10

Ole Miss offers the pinnacle of Southern gridiron graciousness which is best described as a thick accent, a warm embrace, proper attire and good bourbon underwritten with inebriation and naughty behavior.

Yes, a fine polish with a creamy yet hard to completely recollect center…yum.

When the final gun sounds in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium the Rebels spill out onto the streets of Oxford and with a massive Greek scene mixed with a fairly impressive number of bars and eateries no one goes away hungry or under served.

What sets Ole Miss apart on game day is the spirit and dedication in which people celebrate everything about their beloved university, a force that is substantially strengthened in the football crazy South.

6. Alabama

Previous Ranking: 7

Tuscaloosa is a place where the party truly “never ends” and when the Crimson Tide are winning football games everything is amped up considerably.

Yes, empty out 101,821 capacity Bryant-Denny Stadium onto the streets and the already festive Strip and downtown areas become saturated with a party that literally goes on all night.

Serious college football fans, a tendency to over celebrate and winning are “just the ticket” for the Yellowjammer State.

5. Wisconsin

Previous Ranking: 9

Madison Wisconsin is arguably the beacon of hardcore Midwest football carousing and State Street is the center of this impressive celebratory movement.

It’s almost like Wisconsin is an SEC town in the cold, dark Big Ten and when the Badgers play life stops and the party never ends …never.

Camp Randall holds 80,321 fans and when they hit the ground running in postgame mode they have a ridiculous number of bars and parties awaiting their attention.

The densest festive areas other than State Street include Capital Square, Memorial Union and Union Terrace.

4. LSU

Previous Ranking: 4

Though LSU makes a rather lowly appearance on Princeton Review’s best college party towns listing many a comprehensive catalog of merriment leaves Baton Rouge out in the cold.

The omission seems almost criminal but our blockbuster list won’t make that mistake as we astutely realize that when the words “postgame” and “party” are combined in a college football sense then LSU is about as obvious as any selection we could make.

Start by leaving Tiger Stadium (perhaps in drag) and visiting the Tigerland bars and once you’re around for even a little while it becomes easy peasy to find a great place to celebrate late into the Louisiana Saturday night.

3. West Virginia

Previous Ranking: 2

“Wild and Wonderful” is the state motto of West Virginia and Morgantown on game day (and afterwards) lives up to the same billing.

Morgantown is not unlike the Athens of Appalachia but what the Mountaineers have that can’t be touched by their brethren in Ohio and Georgia is furniture burning.

Yes, you’re almost guaranteed to see a couch burned if you spend a college football weekend in West Virginia which means that the celebrations after the game could include the torching of almost any useful household item.

OK, we’ve heard the official announcement, the public burning of living room coordinates is frowned upon by the legal community but the truth is I don’t know of any true college town that doesn’t secretly smile upon inflamed revelry on a winning Saturday.

Hold on to your lamps, Bobby!  We’re going to them mountains where they drink that there “creek water”!

2. Ohio

Previous Ranking: 3

Though Ohio University has had its fair share of top billing among party school rankings some of the top listings have begun to omit the Bobcats due to their near “professional status.”

Since our rankings don’t make designations between amateur status and professionalism we proudly include OU and its hometown of Athens and though MAC football isn’t necessarily a bridge to the BCS it certainly can party hardy after the Bobcats game.

The whole school and town likes to make merry but those who want specific instructions upon departing Peden Stadium, head over to the Uptown area and concentrate your efforts on Court Street.

Over served, well saturated, lubricated and soused are all good descriptive terms for a night in lovely Athens Ohio.

This just in from the news wire…Puke-a-hontis sightings are up at OU.

1. Georgia

Previous Ranking: 1

Athens, Georgia is perhaps the best college town in the country and its huge Greek community, cool downtown bars and eateries and music scene combine to make any visit on a Saturday special.

Add to this delicious combination a healthy, heaping helping of SEC football, crazed Bulldog devotees, tradition, passion and some pretty cool shrubbery and you have arrived at the pinnacle of postgame celebrations.

The party goes on forever…in bars, houses, restaurants, garages, alley ways and always, always, with the gridiron warriors from Sandford Stadium deep in the hearts of a great football people.

And, with Georgia primed to be lethal upon the gridiron in ’12, look for next season to be THE YEAR to visit Athens in the football fall.

Book your rooms early as the Holiday Inn Express only has a limited number of toilets.