Good ol' State U

Do you root for underdogs or aristocrats in college sports?

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for State U teams. You know, those schools that are not the University of Somewhere -- like the University of Michigan or the University of Virginia -- but which have a "state" in their name, like Oregon State or Mississippi State.

State colleges invariably were created after the "University of" colleges. Usually, the "University of" colleges are the more hoity-toity places. They like to call themselves "flagships." Oooh. In fact, a lot of state colleges started out as agricultural schools -- "aggies," they were called, as if they were marbles -- so stuck-up fans of the aristocratic universities would all go "Mooo" during games, and holler other nasty barnyard-related remarks.

In the South, the state colleges were the impoverished, predominantly black schools, such as Tennessee State and Kentucky State. Or they started out as teachers' colleges, or, heaven forbid, as colleges for young ladies, like Florida State.

Whatever the original reason, schools with "state" in their name invariably lack the cachet that the "University ofs" have. So, as a lover of underdogs, I always root for the state colleges.

And, I'm happy to say, as far as football goes, things have never been better for the downtrodden State U's. This season Colorado State whipped the University of Colorado again. Both Iowa State and Oklahoma State finally beat the University of Nebraska. Isn't that one fine how-do-you-do? Washington State is the world-beater in its state. Florida State has had a down season, but it has won two national championships in recent years. Kansas State used to be the absolute worst team in the country, but now it's a perennial Top 25. Virginia Tech, which is actually Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, is leaving Mr. Jefferson's stately University of Virginia in its dust. Utah State has finally found a conference that will take it in. Why, the state of the State U teams hasn't been this fine since that glorious day when Larry Bird left Indiana University for Indiana State and then led his team to the NCAA championship game against Michigan State.

The only State U's I don't root for are Ohio State, Louisiana State and Penn State, because even though they are State U's, they have always been the real top teams in their state. They have no business being State U's. As for Arizona and Arizona State, I can't tell them apart. State U's don't have nearly as much tradition as "University ofs". They don't have the good rivalries. They don't have the beloved indigenous nicknames like the Terps or the Razorbacks or the Fightin' Illini or the Hoosiers or the Jayhawks. Instead, State U's are left with generic hand-me-down nicknames like the Redbirds or the Wolfpack or the Hornets or the Wildcats.

State U's don't have any upscale addresses either. Athletes who play for teams at "University ofs" always identify themselves with their school's town. It sounds so much more elegant, so private school. I go to Madison. I go to Boulder. I go to Chapel Hill. I go to Berkeley. State U players just go to "State." Very few people even know where State U's are.

So here's to the upwardly mobile teams, the downscale strivers. To all the State U's, and Techs and A&Ms ... and most of all, may I cheer loudest for the teams that don't even have a whole state. Go, Southern Mississippi. Hooray for Northern Illinois. I'm with you, Southeast Missouri. Kick butt, Middle Tennessee. They're all living the American Dream, athletic division.

Sports Illustrated senior contributing writer Frank Deford is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com and appears each Wednesday on National Public Radio's Morning Edition. He is a longtime correspondent for HBO's Real Sports and his new novel, An American Summer (Sourcebooks Trade), is available now at bookstores everywhere.

 

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