The BIG EAST is rich in tradition, from the dancing lobsters at Seton Hall games to the perpetually empty AllState Arena. There’s no shortage of greatness when it comes to the passion felt by fans conference-wide, so I decided to give you a list of the best fanbases from the Missouri River to the shores of the Atlantic!

Your Favorite Team’s Fanbase

You’ve been through it all with your team, from the nail-biting losses to the blowout wins, you and your fellow friends are true die-hards for your team. You remember rosters from 1993, even though they disappointed you in the long-run. You still google those players to see how they’re doing today. That’s right, they’re still working that 9-5 office job. Do their co-workers know about that late February game with the conference title on the line, where they sank that shot? Probably not.

You’ve got your own little neighborhood where your season tickets are. There’s that family whose kids are always running around and knocking over your soft drink, throwing pennies at your feet, talking about Paw Patrol or whatever. There’s the young couple who get trashed before the game and always invite you for drinks afterwards. Sometimes you want to go but you know that the conversation will wear thin after discussing the game they don’t remember. There’s the woman who always brings someone new to the arena, awkwardly introducing you to them as she feels like she’s disrupted the section’s mojo. There’s that weirdo with his mustache and glasses that, outside of the arena, you’d never be seen with, but you’ll be damned if he isn’t receiving a high five and a hug when that game winner bangs through the rim.

You’re always talking with others about the facets of your team, usually agreeing and participating in a flapping of gums that inevitably build up your team to be a future perennial power. “Oh yeah, he’s going to be great. Did you see they’re recruiting (X)? That could be huge for us!” The coach can do no wrong, except for that one time and when you speak ill of him you utilize a hushed tone to avoid confrontation from potential eavesdroppers.

It feels like family, it feels like home. Perhaps you engage with other fans on social media to give you a true sense of belonging, like you’re part of something bigger. You are, and it’s great, and everyone loves it and you.

Your Least Favorite Team’s Fanbase

What a bunch of buffoons. They’re always yelling at the wrong things and have stupid traditions that don’t make any sense. They’re caught up in some other era when their team achieved greatness and you just want them to realize that a lot of time has passed since and they suck now. Their team doesn’t even play basketball the right way.

Your ex-girlfriend’s dad was a fan of them. He was always ribbing you whenever his favorite team beat your favorite team and you knew he was an asshole, but you could never bring yourself to say it to his face. Seasons went by and you endured this because you loved your ex-girlfriend, and she sorta bought into your team which helped spur the relationship on, except she ended up cheating on you with a Rutgers alum and you never talked to her again.

Not only that but the fanbase doesn’t even know the rules of basketball. Why the hell are they booing? Don’t they know it was the right call? Do they just hand out degrees at this school? Then they travel to your home arena, clap for their stupid starting lineup, sit in your section after buying tickets off of stubhub, and taunt you mercilessly as they build a 10-point lead. You want to fight them so bad but you’ve already got two felony assaults on your record and you know that third is really gonna fuck you over.

Don’t even get me started on that one player. That guy who always seems to be around, making effort plays and being a pesky little sonuvabitch. He’s always getting away with something - a foul, a travel, a double dribble - and it infuriates you to no end. He isn’t even that good, he’s just good against your team, but you watch him just to see him fail.

Don’t even try engaging with them on social media. They don’t get it. You try to make a logical point but their vision is impaired with their overarching fandom. Your point was really good too and you owned them and they’ll be feeling that burn for a while. Wait, they blocked you? Wow, they’re soft, just like their team.

That Team You Really Don’t Mind’s Fanbase

They seem pretty cool, plus they’re not Rutgers. They’ve got good fans and they always seem supportive of the conference doing well. They’re selfless in their endeavors and your eyes light up a bit when they win. Their coach is great and they’ve got some studs coming up. Sure, they’ve been awful for a while, and your favorite team hasn’t lost to them in five years, but they’re one recruiting class away from being a real threat.

They also play the game the right way. There are times where, when your team sucks, you imagine what it’d be like to be in their shoes. They’ve got so much potential! You make it appointment viewing to watch them play, except that appointment is always tentative and you end up missing 25% of their season.

You engage with their fans on social media and everything always seems amicable, though you don’t realize you’ve been kissing their ass for a couple years now. Those fans don’t really care for you but they think it’s nice to have a friend on the other side - plus you both really hate that one team.

DePaul

You can’t hate DePaul. Try it. Yeah, you still feel something positive for them. That new arena will be nice.