College football season is upon us! So what are some of your favorite country singers' alma maters, and who are they rooting for this year? Read on to find out!
Josh Abbott Band -- Texas Tech University
Texas Tech has no shortage of Texas country star alumni. Pat Green, Wade Bowen, William Clark Green all went to Tech. But Josh Abbott is definitely one of the most vocal celebrity alumni of the school. Besides constantly repping the Red Raiders in social media, he routinely returns to play for the students in Lubbock.
Eric Paslay -- Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State isn't the easiest team to root for, but at least they show him lots of love back. MTSU bestowed their Young Alumni Achievement Award to Paslay in 2016. That makes it a little more palpable to accept their recent beatdown at the hands of nearby Vanderbilt University.
Toby Keith -- Villanova
So everybody knows Toby Keith roots for the University of Oklahoma. Like, all the time. But did you know he never attended OU? In fact, he spent one year at Villanova University. He eventually received an honorary degree from the university. But seeing as this is football season and not basketball season, it makes sense that he roots for a football powerhouse.
Garth Brooks -- Oklahoma State University
Garth Brooks doesn't make a big fuss about his time at OSU, but he's got a legit four-year advertising degree from there. If they ever make it to a national championship maybe he'll show up in a Pokes hat.
Dierks Bentley -- Vanderbilt
Bentley spent a year at the University of Vermont before he transferred to Vanderbilt. But seeing as hockey is his sport of choice, his Vanderbilt fandom takes a backseat to his Predators pride.
Eric Church -- Appalachian State
Appalachian State is the little college that could in the football world. It seems like every year the school manages to upset a major powerhouse or play them super close, including the University of Tennessee last year. One could say that, like the Chief, they're... outsiders.
Jake Owen -- Florida State University
Jake Owen had a golf scholarship to Florida State University before a wakeboarding accident required serious shoulder surgery and ended his golf career. But hey, it led to him playing guitar, and he definitely doesn't have any ill will towards his alma mater.
Chase Rice -- University of North Carolina
You can bet Chase Rice is a huge UNC fan, given he actually started as a linebacker for the team. He then had an interested stint as a reality TV star before transitioning to a country career.
Brad Paisley -- Belmont University
So yes, Brad Paisley went to Belmont, but given they don't have a football team, he's always stayed a huge fan of the West Virginia Mountaineers. So much so that he routinely involves the college in his touring and career.
Scotty McCreery -- North Carolina State
McCreery had the weird pleasure of attending North Carolina State while he was still famous. Heck, we won American Idol at age 17. But he still enjoyed some of the authentic college experience. Just in time to see NC State field a below-average team. Ouch.
Charles Kelley -- University of Georgia
One-third of Lady Antebellum, Charles Kelley graduated from the University of Georgia in 2004 with a degree in finance. Living in Nashville, he's in the heart of SEC country, which bodes well seeing as Georgia is picked to do big things this year.
Granger Smith -- Texas A&M University
Granger Smith is a big Aggie fan and an A&M graduate. He even wrote a song for the team called "We Bleed Maroon." After being part of a historic collapse in which A&M blew a 34-point lead to UCLA, they might be crying maroon too.
Darius Rucker -- University of South Carolina
Darius Rucker is both an alumnus of South Carolina and a huge Gamecocks fan. And he met the rest of his Hootie and the Blowfish bandmates at the college, so it's a bit of a twofer!
