Traditions are a big part of what makes college football Saturdays unique, and the Big 12 Conference has no shortage of memorable ones.
Four of its programs landed in our ranking of the 25 best traditions in college football, from a live buffalo charging around a stadium to thousands of fans swaying together in the stands.
Each tradition has its own history and its own personality, but all four have become defining parts of game day at their respective schools.
They’ve all been around for decades and evolved into something bigger than anyone might have expected. They bring fans into the experience and help make fall Saturdays in the Big 12 feel like something more than just a football game.
Ranking college football traditions is, of course, subjective — and that’s part of the fun. We expect fans to debate what belongs higher, lower or maybe not on the list at all.
Here’s a closer look at the four Big 12 traditions that made the list, followed by the rest of the top 25.
No. 6: Ralphie’s Run, Colorado
It started in 1934, when Colorado introduced a live buffalo as its pregame mascot.
Over the years, that tradition evolved into what fans know today: Ralphie charging full speed around Folsom Field before kickoff.
And yes, getting a buffalo to do anything on command is apparently a bit of an adventure.
“You can make a buffalo go only where a buffalo wants to go. This is the most fun thing I’ve ever done. Hands down,” former Ralphie handler Keane Lyle said.
It’s a tradition that turns the few minutes before kickoff into its own event — unpredictable, loud and unmistakably Colorado.
No. 18: Country Roads, West Virginia
John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” song became part of West Virginia football game day in the early 1970s. Since then, it has grown into something much bigger than a song played at football games — it’s become an unofficial anthem for the school and the state.
The tradition has a special way of bringing everyone together, especially after a win.
“(There is) nothing better than a winning locker room and nothing better than (being on) a winning field playing ‘Country Roads,’” former Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez said.
The song has taken on a life of its own in Morgantown. Once the stadium starts singing together, it stops feeling like a football tradition and starts feeling like a celebration of the state.
No. 22: The Masked Rider, Texas Tech
The Masked Rider has been Texas Tech’s official mascot since Jan. 1, 1954, when Joe Kirk Fulton rode onto the field at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida.
More than seven decades later, the tradition is still going strong, with the Masked Rider and horse serving as year-round ambassadors for the Red Raiders.
For the people who get to take part in it, the significance goes well beyond the spectacle.
“You hear so many stories and how much these people value the position, and it really does remind you that you are part of a legacy so important to so many people,” former Masked Rider Ashley Winters said.
It’s one of the most recognizable entrances in college football, and the tradition has also become a symbol of Red Raiders pride that connects generations of fans.
No. 25: Wabash Cannonball, Kansas State
The Wabash Cannonball became a staple in Manhattan after a 1968 campus fire.
Today, it’s one of those traditions that’s almost impossible to explain to someone who hasn’t seen it in person: fans rock back and forth together, turning 50,000-seat Bill Snyder Family Stadium into a moving sea of purple.
The funny thing is, it started in a much different setting.
“This Wabash thing started when there was nobody in the stands, so there was nobody to do that dance,” said Frank Tracz, K-State’s former director of bands. “And now all you need is those first couple measures of the drums and everybody knows.”
The best part might be how quickly the crowd gets involved. Once those opening notes hit, everyone knows exactly what to do.
The top 25
- 1. The Hawkeye Wave, Iowa
- 2. Jump Around, Wisconsin
- 3. Enter Sandman, Virginia Tech
- 4. Running Down the Hill, Clemson
- 5. Osceola and Renegade, Florida State
- 6. Ralphie’s Run, Colorado
- 7. White Out Game, Penn State
- 8. Dotting the “i,” Ohio State
- 9. Play Like a Champion Today, Notre Dame
- 10. Touching the Banner, Michigan
- 11. Running Through the T, Tennessee
- 12. 2001: A Space Odyssey, South Carolina
- 13. Entering through the smoke, Miami
- 14. Army-Navy joint postgame alma maters
- 15. The Sooner Schooner, Oklahoma
- 16. War Eagle, Auburn
- 17. Traveler and Tribute to Troy, USC
- 18. Country Roads, West Virginia
- 19. Calling the Dawgs, Georgia
- 20. Gator Chomp, Florida
- 21. Callin’ Baton Rouge, LSU
- 22. The Masked Rider, Texas Tech
- 23. The 12th Man, Texas A&M
- 24. Rammer Jammer, Alabama
- 25. Wabash Cannonball, Kansas State
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Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.