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Fansided

The 30 Most Loyal Groups of Fans in College Football

By Zach Bigalke

Sep 10, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles fans cheer prior to the game against Charleston Southern at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles fans cheer prior to the game against Charleston Southern at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 28, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack fans cheer the defense during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Carter Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack fans cheer the defense during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Carter Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /

16. NC State Wolfpack

Average Home Attendance 2006-2015: 55,782 (96.9% of capacity)
Average Season Winning Percentage: .479
Seasons Under 90% Capacity: 0
Seasons Over 100% Capacity: 0

For most of the past decade, NC State really hasn’t been that great a football team. In five of the past 10 seasons, the Wolfpack have finished with a losing record. Tom O’Brien looked to be fixing the issues in Raleigh, and yet he was unceremoniously dismissed in 2012 prior to the Music City Bowl. In came Dave Doeren, who has steered NC State to two bowl games in his first three years and hopes to keep the momentum moving forward in 2016.

So why is the Wolfpack so high on this list of loyal fans? Ultimately it is precisely because NC State’s fans have stuck around despite all the losing that they merit such high ranking on this list. Even during Doeren’s first campaign, more than 53,000 fans came out per game in a season that ended 3-9. The fans first started turning away during O’Brien’s last season, one of the reasons given for his dismissal, and demonstrates a definite strength that fan loyalty plays in administrative decision making.

Attendance has rebounded at Carter-Finley Stadium over Doeren’s tenure, reaching 99 percent of capacity in 2015. If NC State can begin to earn regular bowl invitations and compete on occasion for conference crowns, it would be just reward for a group of fans that has remained loyal in the face of mediocrity or worse.

Next: 15. Clemson

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