Deal with it, the 'new neighbors' are here to stay
Never mind self-awarded 'pirate' status or the inferiority complex
"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape," or so conventional wisdom says — The flip side is that some folks really struggle with change:
Maybe you adjusted a long-running project and some poor, insecure soul oblivious to your decades of work took it as a new threat to "their" thing. (*cough*)
You know the type: Super petty about having more but week after week exposing their inferiority complex — so pretentious they sit in a rowboat, without irony self-awarding “pirate” status.
Now in the B1G regular season, the chatter is increasingly locked into an outdated mindset — entrenched in the lazy narrative that competitor qualifications are exaggerated, and rationalizing that inconvenient facts must be outright lies.
Likewise, a fair amount of weirdness continues from certain Big Ten fanbases since 2023 — a full year before Oregon was scheduled to play in its new conference.
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Resilience and adaptability
Turns out, conference expansion comes with fanbase vibes not unlike acclimating to new neighbors.
Oregon fans saw this from the other side not so long ago. Back in 2011, the former Conference of Champions added Utah and Colorado in the expansion to become the Pac-12.
Over time, everyone adjusted to having fans of the Utes and Buffs in the Pac-12 mix. Eventually, Utah earned the respect of many, and two of the last three Pac-12 titles — while Colorado earned a bunch of clicks.
Now just days from opening the Big Ten football season, Oregon fans are encountering distinct flavors of fandom among the more visible Big Ten teams.
Here's the FansEdge-5 — five notes on fanbase reputations of prominent Big Ten football programs:
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
"Buckeye Nation" really isn't an exaggeration. Travel to metro areas pretty much anywhere in America, and you can spot relocated Ohio State fans. On college football Saturdays, it's not hard to find a sports bar in any major U.S. city hosting an Ohio State watch party. The combination of tOSU's historically massive enrollment and an Ohio winter climate worth escaping has distributed Buckeyes fans across the country.
To their credit, Buckeyes fans roll deep at Ohio Stadium on game days. "The Shoe" seats more than 100,000 — compared to Autzen's 54,000 seats, or the 89,700 Rose Bowl capacity that tends to see sparse attendance for regular-season UCLA games.
Historically, Buckeyes fans have traveled well — time will tell if they'll sustain a regular-season presence in West Coast stadiums in the years ahead.
Fanbase reputation:
Ohio State's long-standing rivalry with Michigan generates fan interactions some describe as overly intense — aggressive, even. For context, the Michigan-tOSU rivalry dates back to 1897 with mutual animosity so specific that Buckeyes fans often refuse to mention Michigan by name or mascot — only as, "that team up north."
Rivalry stakes have been high lately, with "The Game" regular-season rivalry frequently deciding which of the two teams advance to the conference title game. Michigan and Ohio State combined to win every Big Ten Championship Game in the past seven seasons.
The months and years ahead will reveal if a level of fanbase hostility anywhere near that apex rivalry will develop online or on game days toward the 2024 additions to the Big Ten.
2. Michigan Wolverines
Michigan has a long-earned tradition of lasting success, and Wolverines fans have all the program pride you'd expect of the defending national champ. The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is central to fanbase identity on both sides of "The Game."
Time will tell how strong Michigan fans’ appetite is for regular-season West Coast travel. Oregon fans from the era of Dennis Dixon’s 39-7 signature win at Michigan in 2007 are often eager to reaffirm that "The Big House" in Ann Arbor is a bucket-list football cathedral experience.
Fanbase reputation:
Wolverine fans are known to take an elitist tone — even on topics unrelated to Michigan's rich football history.
Buckeyes fans in particular critique the Michigan fanbase for living in the past — Similar to the dynamic Oregon fans might have noticed in Washington fans still bringing up the 1991 national poll co-championship.
Michigan fans are known to overreach for any pretense of superiority when recent on-field performances don't fit their narrative — For example, a random and categorically false claim of higher real estate values than the West Coast.
(Ridiculous, but true: This came up, absolutely out of nowhere, in 2023 while the team was moderating our Big Ten group on Facebook.)
3. Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State fans have a legitimate legacy of making Beaver Stadium one of the biggest, loudest venues in college football — the "White Out" tradition and the crowd noise that comes with it are no joke.
Rather than elitism or unsolicited hostility, Penn State fans stand on legendary loyalty — through ups and downs, even through shocking scandal and controversy, this fanbase is unflinching in having their team's back.
Oregon's endless combinations of uniform options contrast with the tradition-always uniforms of Penn State, Nebraska, and Michigan. Though Ohio State, Minnesota, and Indiana occasionally mix in flashy alternate uniforms, nobody in the Big Ten can flex like Oregon on uniform design — Penn State openly prides itself on that continuity.
Those old-school sensibilities could easily conflict in fanbase interactions with the always-evolving, future-focused mindset embraced by the Oregon program and its fans.
Fanbase reputation:
Relative to a more abrasive fan culture like Buckeye Nation, the Penn State fanbase is known for hospitality and leaving the aggression to their team on the field.
It's hard to fault Penn State fans for bristling at reminders of the program's scandalous recent past, but it's been said that they tend to be heavily defensive about those lingering controversies.
On purely football topics, Penn State is recognized for a strong tradition of historical success, and the unrelenting home-field advantage at Beaver Stadium regardless of score or the Nittany Lions ranking.
4. Wisconsin Badgers
If you haven't had the pleasure, a pair of butterflied Johnsonville bratwursts with authentic brown mustard on a Wisconsin hard roll at a Madison tailgater will change your life — in ways your primary care physician can only advise that you carefully limit.
Once inside Camp Randall Stadium, "Jump Around" will raise anyone's pulse the bratwursts haven't flatlined yet — a gameday song tradition Oregon fans will recognize as similar to the Autzen fourth-quarter "Shout."
Though Wisconsin is seven years removed from a program-high 13 wins to finish 2017 ranked AP No. 7, the Badgers lead the nation in active streaks of consecutive winning seasons with 22 — fueling a welcoming yet extremely loyal fanbase.
Fanbase reputation:
A Badgers game, with stout defense and power running on a clear October Saturday, is blue-collar college football heaven.
Be it at Camp Randall, or in January at the Rose Bowl, many fans find the Wisconsin fanbase possibly the most welcoming and easygoing in the Big Ten.
Wisconsin fans' next-level chill is even said to be frustrating for more intense fanbases such as Ohio State — but it’s tough to buy into criticism that football isn't taken seriously enough in Madison, given the Badgers' 22 consecutive winning seasons.
5. Oregon Ducks
Oregon fans are recognized for enthusiasm toward innovation — from style of play to marketing and uniforms, thanks to the university's connections to Nike.
Autzen crowds are widely known for creating all the home-field advantage of significantly larger stadiums. Pound-for-pound, Autzen is one of the toughest places in the nation for visiting teams to play — which the college football world readily admits:
"Autzen Stadium is where great teams go to die."
— Lee Corso, ESPN football analyst
Fanbase reputation:
As thrilling as Oregon teams have made their steady upward trajectory since the start of the Rich Brooks era, college football bluebloods criticize the relatively brief timeline of Oregon's success — and the football IQ of the Ducks' fanbase.
Nobody in college football denies the passion of Ducks fans — but it’s been observed that the Oregon fanbase tends to gain a significant bandwagon faction when the chips are up, and related fair-weather attrition after any loss at any point in a season.
Big Ten fans tend to be more committed, win or lose — Midwest people generally tend to have personalities on the resilient side.
What Oregon fans know, and opposing fans might be reluctant to admit, is that recruits and Ducks players love the Autzen energy too — not to mention the marketing, uniforms, and innovation.
In closing, remember:
"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape."
Be it a creative project relocated to "your" turf, a new face in the neighborhood, or fresh rivalries with fans in a new athletic conference — the more we accept inevitable change, the less time we'll spend stressed or upset.
That’s the FansEdge-5 — thanks for reading!
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