Best Marketed Programs

10.Texas Tech- Since 2004 Texas Tech has been ranked 5 times at the end of the season. From 1938-2003 they only were ranked 7 times at the end of the season. Under Mike Leach, Tech was able to market itself as being the must see offense of college football. The wide open passing attack was unlike anything else in college football and you knew if you were going to watch a Red Raiders football game you were going to see some fun. Recruits took notice of this and Tech has now become a legit threat in the Big XII. Leach's offense may no longer be in Lubbock, but it was this unique offense that helped put Texas Tech on the map.

9. Oklahoma State- For the first time in program history OSU has finished the year ranked for 3 consecutive years. They enter the 2011 season as a darkhorse national championship team. OSU has made it well known that their facilities are some of the best in the country. Head Coach Mike Gundy, who few knew, made himself a national name while defending a player during his "I'm a man, I'm 40 speech". While it wasn't his intent to promote himself during this speech, he did become one of the most well known coaches in CFB overnight without having to win a game. Now the Cowboys are marketing themselves as the "Oregon of the Midwest" by using multiple uniform combinations. A one time doormat of the Big 8 has become a national power by being creative and spending some money.

8. South Carolina- 12 years ago the Gamecocks were the worst program in the FBS. The Gamecocks had lost 21 straight games and went nearly 3 years without a SEC win. Today the Gamecocks are coming off a SEC East Championship and the recruiting has produced several top 15 classes recently. The Gamecocks have been able to put themselves on the national map for a couple reasons. First, they hired two legends in the College Football World with Spurrier and Holtz. While other SEC schools have avoided ESPN Thursday Night Games, the Gamecocks have done their best to be featured and this has allowed the Gamecocks to be the first game of the CFB season several times in the last 6 seasons. They also do a fantastic job of selling the fact that they have the most loyal fans in the country and that the "2001" Entrance is the best in college football.

7. Fresno State- The Bulldogs aren't a national power, but they are a team that few want to see on the schedule. Pat Hill's team has 17 wins over BCS schools since he has been head coach, the best among none BCS schools. The program has been identified by the fact that they will play anyone, anywhere, and anytime. Fresno sells itself as a blue collar football program. The "V" on the back of their helmet is to sell itself to the people of the San Joaquin Valley, the word's richest agriculture area. This attitude displayed by Fresno has separated itself from most of the non BCS schools in the West.

6. LSU- Prior to every kickoff in Baton Rouge, the words "It's Saturday Night in Death Valley" are heard over the P.A. No school takes more pride in its night games than do the Tiger fans. Bear Bryant once said "Baton Rouge happens to be the worst place in the world for a visiting team. It's like being inside a drum." LSU has marketed its Saturday Night experience to recruits as being the best homefield advantage in college football. The crowd chants, Mike the Tiger, the Golden Girls, and the craziest student section in the South is why being in Tiger Stadium on a Saturday Night is the closest thing to Mardi Gras that you'll see in the inside of a stadium. LSU has used this to go from being a good program to being an elite program.

5. Virginia Tech- For many years Virginia Tech was a program few paid any attention to. Prior to 1995 Virginia Tech had never won a major conference title, since then Virginia Tech has won 7 championships. Tech got itself on the college football map by playing more Thursday Night games than any school in the FBS. Since 1994, Tech is 17-5 on Thursday Night Games. Tech also has done a great job marketing its "Enter Sandman" entrance as one of the best in college football. This entrance has been featured numerous times on national TV and it certainly draws the attention of many recruits.

4. Florida- In the early 90s head coach Steve Spurrier notes that "A swamp is where Gators live. We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous. Only Gators get out alive". This gave Florida the best stadium nickname in college football. This program had never won a SEC Championship prior to Spurrier's arrival, turned the nickname "The Swamp" into a place where rival athletes knew it was hard to come out with a win. From 1990-2009 the Gators posted an incredible 113-13 record at home, proving that only Gators come out alive at The Swamp.

3. Miami- One word and one letter is all you need to know "The U". A small private school in South Florida that lacks an on campus stadium and has average facilities shouldn't be able to win 5 national championships, but the attitude that comes with being The U has worked. When you watch a NFL game and you see the numerous athletes from Miami they will introduce themselves as being from The U. These same athletes will make up the largest group of NFL alumni that you will see on a college team's sidelines. The cocky attitude that no one can beat Miami has helped this small school become one of the nation's elite over the last 30 years.

2. Boise State- This program has only been a FBS program for 15 years. Yet, it has one of the most known fields in American Sports. As soon as Boise State joined the FBS, they got the attention of the media nationally because of their unique blue turf. Boise is from a state that produces very little NFL talent and can't match the tradition of many powers in college football, but has had three top 10 finishes since 2006 with 2 BCS Bowl wins. Boise also does a great job of selling itself as a giant killer, even though they've been a giant for several years now. The Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma had all the elements of a Cinderella Story, including a proposal to make it the perfect story book ending.

1. Oregon- In the last 20 years no program has done a better job of marketing itself than Oregon. From 1957 to 1993, the Ducks had zero top 25 finishes. Since 1994 the Ducks have finished in the top 25 ten times. The Ducks have used their numerous uniform combinations to make itself the "cool" school to attend. Whether its the highlighter yellow, the green, or any other combination fans will tune in to see what crazy combination Oregon comes up with next. It's not only the uniform that has made Oregon unique though. Autzen Stadium has been marketed as the loudest stadium in the West for many years. Due to its odd shape, noise does not escape making Autzen the nation's loudest small stadium. The mascot has also helped Oregon. How many ESPN commercials with the Duck have we seen over the last few seasons? How many times did the television media show the Duck doing push ups? Oregon markets itself better than any program nationally, which should shock anyone considering its wealthiest supporter Phil Knight has been the head of one of America's top marketed companies(Nike) for many years.

Dixiefriedsports@gmail.com
http://twitter.com/#!/dixiefriedsport