Best Football Colleges (2023)

Bill Townsend
9/20/2023 | 5 Min Read

football

Table of Contents

When you envision your ideal college experience, do you dream about sitting in the stands with your classmates on Saturday afternoons, singing the school fight song, and cheering your team on to victory?

If so, we may know just the school for you. In this article, we'll discuss the best football colleges in the country. These schools are well known for their previous success and their gameday traditions.

Why go to a top football school?

Perhaps you're looking for the best football school because you want to support your team. College game days are an incredible experience. The atmosphere is buzzing, especially when your school is hosting its top rival or climbing the national rankings. Even if you grew up attending college football games, it hits differently when sitting in the student section and engaging in all the traditions.

You might even be interested in playing football at the next level. Remember that the more prestigious a program is, the tougher it will be to earn a spot on the team. However, you could earn a spot as a walk-on even if you weren't offered a scholarship, and some schools will even host open tryouts for students on campus. So, to quote Lloyd Christmas (from Dumb and Dumber), yes, we're telling you there's a chance.

12 best football colleges to attend

Let's discuss several of the top football colleges in the country. We'll tell you a little more about the team's recent success and why it stands out to us as a great football school.

Georgia Bulldogs at the University of Georgia

Location: Athens, GA

Acceptance rate: 48%

Undergraduate enrollment: 29,765

The University of Georgia (UGA) Bulldogs have been on a tear lately. The school has won four national titles in its history, and they are currently the reigning back-to-back champions after defeating TCU 65-7 in last year's National Championship game. Make sure you get to the stadium at least two hours early so you can participate in the Dawg Walk.

Michigan Wolverines at the University of Michigan

Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Acceptance rate: 26%

Undergraduate enrollment: 31,329

The University of Michigan has more wins than any college football program in history. Over the years, they have won 16 national championships and 44 conference championships. Still, Michigan isn't known as a football school only for what happens at the stadium. Tailgating begins early in the morning, and the Michigan Marching Band's pregame march down Hoover Avenue sets the stage for what's to come later.

Florida State Seminoles at Florida State University

Location: Tallahassee, FL

Acceptance rate: 32%

Undergraduate enrollment: 32,543

Florida State University has won three national titles and 16 conference championships during its storied history. From 1987 to 2000, the school finished in the top five of the AP poll each year. Florida State plays in the Atlantic Coastal Conference, and their annual rivalry game against Miami is one of the biggest days on the schedule each year.

Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio State University

Location: Columbus, OH

Acceptance rate: 68%

Undergraduate enrollment: 46,984

The Ohio State University's football team has won over 800 games since its first season in 1904. They own 40 conference championships and eight national championships. They last reached the promised land in 2014, but the school has appeared in the NCAA's College Football Playoff four times since then. The school also plants a tree for each All-American and rings the Victory Bell at the southeastern edge of the stadium after each win.

USC Trojans the University of Southern California, Los Angeles

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Acceptance rate: 16%

Undergraduate enrollment: 19,786

The University of Southern California (USC) Trojans recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of their first game. Since that time, they have won 39 conference championships, nine national championships, and over 750 individual games. The school won back-to-back championships in 2003 and 2004 when future NFL players Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush were running the show alongside head coach Pete Carroll.

USC is also known for the "Spirit of Troy" marching band and Traveler, the white horse that rides into the stadium carrying a Trojan warrior before each game.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the University of Notre Dame

Location: Notre Dame, ID

Acceptance rate: 19%

Undergraduate enrollment: 8,874

The University of Notre Dame's football program is one of the oldest - and most successful - in the entire country. Notre Dame has played 116 seasons and won more than 850 games. They have appeared in 41 bowl games and won 13 national championships. Although Notre Dame is loosely affiliated with the Big Ten and the ACC, they famously operate as an independent team.

Texas Longhorns at the University of Texas, Austin

Location: Austin, TX

Acceptance rate: 32%

Undergraduate enrollment: 40,048

The University of Texas at Austin is home to the Texas Longhorns football program. The Longhorns are winners of four national championships and 30 conference titles. Although the Longhorns have played in the Big 12 since 1996, they are currently preparing for a move to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) along with the University of Oklahoma Sooners to play against schools like Alabama, Georgia, and LSU.

Clemson Tigers at Clemson University

Location: Clemson, SC

Acceptance rate: 62%

Undergraduate enrollment: 20,868

Before the 2016 season, Clemson University had only won one football national championship in their school's history. However, the Tigers have been incredibly successful lately, winning it all in 2016 and 2018. Since their first season in 1902, they have appeared in 49 bowl games and won 22 conference championships. They play their home games at Memorial Stadium, affectionately referred to as Death Valley by Clemson's fans and alumni.

Alabama Crimson Tide at the University of Alabama

Location: Tuscaloosa, AL

Acceptance rate: 80%

Undergraduate enrollment: 31,670

The University of Alabama has become a modern-day college football dynasty. They have won six national championships since 2009 and appeared in the College Football playoff a record seven times. Alabama has also had four Heisman winners in the last fifteen years and should win their 1,000th game in program history within the next three years if they continue on their recent torrid pace.

Louisiana State University Tigers at Louisiana State University

Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Acceptance rate: 73%

Undergraduate enrollment: 27,825

Louisiana State University has won five national championships, including three in the last 20 years. The Tigers most recently won in 2019, when eventual #1 NFL draft pick Joe Burrow led the team to a perfect 15-0 season and a victory over Clemson in the College Football championship. They play their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, which can hold over 100,000 fans at full capacity.

Other football schools to consider

These schools may not be on the list above, but they are definitely in the conversation for the top football schools in the country:

Start planning your future with College Rover

We hope you'll have a blast supporting your team alongside your classmates for the next four years, and we hope that this article gives you a few thoughts about what college you may want to research further.

If you'd like to find more information, College Rover can help you research schools and programs. Our online database contains plenty of information that we think you'll find helpful as you narrow down your choices. Check it out today!

College Rover gets the majority of its data directly from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The DOE publishing schedule "lags" the most current data which some colleges post on their official websites. This may cause there to be a difference in the data you see on College Rover and an individual college website. College Rover's website is updated as the DOE data becomes available and is configured for the College Rover website.