Who is college football’s ‘coolest’ team? Report ranks top 20 and four Texas schools made the list.​on January 24, 2025 at 6:00 pm

TEXAS, USA — The confetti has settled on the 2024 college football season, and the Ohio State Buckeyes hoisted the first 12-team CFP national championship. 

But according to a new report released by The Action Network, they aren’t the “coolest team” in college football. In fact, they beat the No. 1 team on the list en route to their national championship. The Action Network calculated their “cool score” with the following criteria:

Value (30% Total Weight)

• Players that have gone pro (Currently Active NFL Players): 15%
• Revenue: 15%

Culture (30% Total Weight)

• Micro Breweries (within five miles of city center): 5%
• Population of City: 5%
• Search Volume for ‘Tailgating’ (average over 12 months): 10%
• Search Volume for Football Team (average over 12 months): 10%

Performance (40% Total Weight)

• All-time championships (*anything the NCAA recognized as a championship): 20%
• 2024 Win-Loss Record: 20%

Now that you know how they calculated the overall “cool score,” here’s how the rankings shaped out:

1. Texas: 100
2. Ohio State: 97
3. Notre Dame: 92
4. Alabama: 91
5. USC: 82
6. Georgia: 80
7. Miami: 78
8. Michigan: 74
9. Florida: 71
10. Texas A&M: 67
11. Oregon: 66
12. Penn State: 65
13. LSU: 64
14. Tennessee: 61
15. TCU: 56
16. Illinois: 56
17. Clemson: 55
18. Minnesota: 55
19. Oklahoma: 54
20. SMU: 51

Here is a deeper look at The Action Network’s list:

To read the full report, click here.