On January 7, 2013, Notre Dame will face off against either the University of Alabama or the Georgia Bulldogs to win the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The last time Notre Dame won a national Championship, Microsoft had just released its second version of Windows; the first George Bush had yet to be sworn into office and Patriots star Tight End Rob Gronkowski wasn’t even born yet. This is the first time since Nov. 15, 1993 that Notre Dame is ranked No. 1 in either the Associated Press or USA Today Coaches poll. A lot has happened to the Fighting Irish since the last time they compiled an undefeated season, and Fanatics has all the Notre Dame BCS Championship Merchandise to represent a lifetime of football greatness.

Coach Kelly and the ‘Rule of Three’

Brian Kelly can join an elite group of Irish coaches if he pulls off a win this coming January. Five coaches in Notre Dame’s history have finished unbeaten, won an NCAA championship with 1 loss or both in their third year as coach of the Fighting Irish. If Kelly pulls off this next win, he will go down as one of the great Notre Dame coaches of all-time and secure a place in the record books. Be there when history is made with Notre Dame BCS Champs T-Shirts from Fanatics. We have all the BCS Championship Tee Shirts to keep Irish eyes smiling all year long.

Evening up the score

The upcoming Discover BCS National Championship Game will be the 32nd bowl appearance for Notre Dame, who’s compiled a 15-16 record thus far. They can even up their win/loss record and get their 14th National Championship against either Alabama or Georgia. Make sure you are there when the record books get rewritten with our collection of Notre Dame BCS Championship Apparel. A Notre Dame BCS Championship Hat or Sweatshirt lets the world know you’ve been singing the Notre Dame Victory March before it was cool.

No matter who wins the big game in Miami, we’ll have all the BCS Championship Merchandise and Apparel to celebrate on whatever campus or couch you call home.

Congratulations to the Alabama Crimson Tide, the 2011 BCS National Champions. Every Bama fan can find licensed Crimson Tide champs gear and merchandise at Fanatics.com, the world’s largest online retailer of officially licensed sports merchandise. With over 350 champs items, a full line of Crimson Tide merchandise, flat rate shipping, yearlong returns and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, customers are sure to enjoy a fan-friendly shopping experience. Two fierce SEC teams going helmet-to-helmet made for an outstanding national championship match-up. The Alabama Crimson Tide overcame the odds and won the ultimate Coaches’ trophy, final score Alabama 21 – LSU 0. This is the first shut-out ever in BCS history and Bama’s 14th national championship! Congrats to the Crimson Tide players and Nick Saban on his 3rd national championship win. For all BCS Championship Merchandise, click here.

College football is quickly approaching. No matter what team you root for on gameday, we recommend visiting these Top College Football Stadiums for the 2011 NCAA season! The following list takes into account scenic views, current stadium capacity, past lists of top stadiums, unique facts about each, and overall gameday atmosphere.

#20 Falcon Stadium, US Air Force Academy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Capacity: 46,692

Unique Facts:

• Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains is the gameday backdrop
• The mascot is a peregrine falcon named “Mach 1,” which means the speed of sound – the peregrine can fly at a speed of 200 miles per hour and dives over the heads of Air Force fans
• 2nd highest elevation in Division I-A football – over 6,620 feet above sea level

Shop Air Force Falcons Gear

#19 Folsom Field, University of Colorado

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Boulder, Colorado

Capacity: 53,613

Unique Facts: 

• Another high elevation – 3rd highest elevation in NCAA football – 5,360 feet above sea level
• Flatiron mountain range is the background setting
• A massive recycling effort in 2008 made it the first “zero-waste” stadium in the NCAA 

Shop Colorado Buffaloes Gear

#18 LaVell Edwards Stadium, Brigham Young University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Provo, Utah

Capacity: 63,725

Unique Facts:

• Mt. Timpanogos and Wasatch Mountain Range are the background views
• Part of the largest collection of North American fossils were stored under the bleachers until 2005 – now displayed in the university’s museum
• Previously known as Cougar Stadium, head coach LaVell Edwards retired in 2000 when the stadium was renamed 

Shop BYU Cougars Gear

#17 Ohio Stadium, Ohio State University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Columbus, Ohio

Capacity: 102,329

Unique Facts:

• 4th largest football stadium in the US
• No field lights are installed. Special lighting is used during night games
• The stadium is a concert venue to some of the biggest names in music like U2 and The Rolling Stones 

Shop Ohio State Buckeyes Gear

#16 Husky Stadium, University of Washington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Seattle, Washington

Capacity: 72,500

Unique Facts:

• Open side of the stadium looks out on Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains
• 70% of the seats are covered by metal roofs between the end zones
• Noise level has measured 135 decibels…loudest recorded ever 

Shop Washington Huskies Gear

#15 Frank Howard Field at Memorial Stadium “Death Valley”, Clemson University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Clemson, South Carolina

Capacity: 80,301

Unique Facts:

• 2nd largest stadium in the ACC
• Hosted concerts to popular music artists like Pink Floyd and Rage Against the Machine
• “Howard’s Rock” is a rock given to Frank Howard by a friend claiming to originally be from Death Valley, California. The rock was eventually placed in an encasement and the Clemson Army ROTC protects the rock 24 hours prior to the Clemson/SC game every year

Shop Clemson Tigers Gear

#14 Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn University

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Auburn, Alabama

Capacity: 87,451

Unique Facts:

• Stadium is named for the winningest coach in Auburn football, Ralph “Shug” Jordan, and Cliff Hare a member of the 1st football team and president of the Southern Conference
• 1st SEC school to install an HD video display and 2nd in the NCAA
• Known for great gameday atmospheres and one of the more intimidating places for any opponent

Shop Auburn Tigers Gear

#13 Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Florida State University

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Tallahassee, Florida

Capacity: 82,300

Unique Facts:

• Largest continuous structure made of brick in the US
• Field named for head coach Bobby Bowden and stadium named for former president at time of construction
• Bronze sculpture resembling Chief Osceola and Renegade, FSU’s mascots, stands 19′ tall outside stadium. At sunset before home games, the Marching Chiefs play as Osceola’s spear is lit on fire

Shop Florida State Seminoles Gear

#12 Camp Randall Stadium, University of Wisconsin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Capacity: 80,321

Unique Facts:

• Oldest college football stadium – first formed in 1895 and completed in 1917
• 5th largest stadium in the Big Ten Conference
• Built on the Camp Randall grounds, former training camp of the Union Army during the Civil War

Shop Wisconsin Badgers Gear

#11 Tiger Stadium, Louisiana State University

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Capacity: 92,542

Unique Facts:

• Home of the most intimidating mascot in college football, Mike The Tiger (a real tiger)
• One of the worst places for visiting teams because of the loudest atmosphere in stadium history
• New 27×80 HD Video Board

Shop LSU Tigers Gear

#10 Michigan Stadium “The Big House”, University of Michigan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Capacity: 109,901

Unique Facts:

• Largest stadium in the US and 3rd largest in the world
• First night football game in Michigan Stadium history will occur Sept 10, 2011, against Notre Dame
• Size of gameday crowds almost matches Ann Arbor’s population 

Shop Michigan Wolverines Gear

#9 Beaver Stadium, Penn State University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: University Park, Pennsylvania

Capacity: 107,282

Unique Facts:

• 2nd largest stadium in the US and 4th largest in the world
• The WhiteOut occurs when students wear all white during night games and the same for the WhiteHouse during day games
• First stadium to be included in Google Street View

Shop Penn State Nittany Lions Gear 

#8 Sanford Stadium, University of Georgia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Athens, Georgia

Capacity: 92,746

Unique Facts:

• Privet hedges surround the field for not only cosmetic reasons, but also crowd control – originally planted in 1929, removed and restored in 1996
• One of the best mascots, Uga, descends from the original white bulldog and has an air-conditioned doghouse with bags of ice inside
• Field has only been rushed one time in history in 2000 when the Bulldogs beat their rival, the Tennessee Vols, for the first time since 1988 – the goal posts were also torn down

Shop Georgia Bulldogs Gear

#7 Kyle Field, Texas A&M University

 

 

 

 

 

Location: College Station, Texas

Capacity: 83,002

Unique Facts:

• Kyle Field press box has won many honors with accomodations for hundreds of press members
• The entire press box sways during the Aggie War Hymn
• The Zone contains a sports museum, multiple seating levels, and a graveyard right outside for the Aggie mascot

Shop Texas A&M Aggies Gear

#6 Autzen Stadium, University of Oregon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Eugene, Oregon

Capacity: 54,000

Unique Facts:

• One of the loudest stadiums in college football with steep stands, seats close to the field, and a roof that overhangs
• Located near Willamette River and next to Alton Baker Park
• 74 consecutive sellouts dating back to 1999 

Shop Oregon Ducks Gear

#5 Memorial Stadium, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Lincoln, Nebraska

Capacity: 81,067

Unique Facts:

• Continuous NCAA record of consecutive sellouts…now at 311
• ‘Huskers fans are some of the most loyal in college football and the stands are always filled with a “Sea of Red”
• The stadium name honors Nebraska natives who served during the Civil and Spanish-American Wars, as well as 751 who died in World War I

Shop Nebraska Cornhuskers Gear

#4 Bryant-Denny Stadium, University of Alabama

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Capacity: 101,821

Unique Facts:

• Originally named Denny Stadium after George Denny, former president – changed in 1975 to honor famous past head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant
• 2nd largest stadium in the SEC and 5th largest in the US
• In 2010, South End Zone expanded and the new seats sold out quickly prior to the 2010 season

Shop Alabama Crimson Tide Gear

#3 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium “The Swamp”, University of Florida

 Location: Gainesville, Florida

Capacity: 88,548

Unique Facts:

• Can we say Home Field Advantage? The Swamp is below ground level with enclosed playing areas on every side, which makes humid climate temperatures exceed 100 degrees and screaming fans even louder
• Large bronze statues of the three Heisman Trophy winners placed outside the stadium in April 2011: Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow
• The Gator Chomp symbolizes an alligator’s mouth and fans use this as a gesture to support the team, occuring when the Pride of the Sunshine plays a two-note music sequence from the film Jaws

Shop Florida Gators Gear

#2 Notre Dame Stadium, University of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Notre Dame, Indiana

Capacity: 80,795

Unique Facts: 

• Known as “The House That Rockne Built”, Knute Rockne was a coach who popularized the forward pass and helped the stadium’s construction project get off the ground 
• The playing surface has always consisted of natural grass
• “Rudy”, a biographical film about Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger who dreamt of playing Notre Dame football, was the first movie shot on campus since “Knute Rockne, All American”
• First night game since 1991 will be held on October 22, 2011, against USC

Shop Notre Dame Fighting Irish

#1 Neyland Stadium, University of Tennessee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Knoxville, Tennessee

Capacity: 102,455

Unique Facts:

• General Robert Neyland made the Vols a football powerhouse from 1926-1952
• One of 70 stadiums in the US bid for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup
• The largest SEC stadium, 3rd largest in the US and 6th largest in the world
• Unique endzone paint with an orange and white checkerboard
• Located on the Tennessee River, The Volunteer Navy tailgates (or sailgates) outside of Neyland each gameday
• “Rocky Top” is one of the most well-known, repetitively played songs during any college football game

Shop Tennessee Volunteers Gear

No matter if you’re an athlete, alumni, enrolled student, proud parent, coach, or maybe even a mascot yourself, we can all appreciate a creative college mascot. Mascots are similar to cheerleaders. They get the crowd excited to watch the upcoming sporting event by cheering, dancing and doing various stunts. However, mascots are different from cheerleaders because there are no rules to being a mascot. They can do just about anything they want. The more spirit is involved, the more the crowd is going to cheer. And if the mascot is funny, outlandish or just plain impressive, fans will inevitably react in a positive way and get even more pumped up for their team to win. So check out our Top 10 College Mascots of 2011 with the help of bleacherreport.com and a few members of our Fanatics staff!

#10 Brutus Buckeye – Ohio State Buckeyes

Brutus is a nut, literally. Ohio’s state tree and buckeye nut is represented by the mascot, who might I add was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame just a few years ago.

 

 

#9 Osceola & Renegade – Florida State Seminoles

Chief Osceola and his horse Renegade have been with FSU since 1978. The actual Seminole tribe has a great relationship with FSU and Seminole women are selected to design Osceola and Renegade’s mascot attire.

 

 

#8 Mike the Tiger – Louisiana State Tigers

There have been six tigers for LSU since 1936, all of which lived 17 years if not longer. The interesting fact is that tigers generally live between eight and ten years. LSU must take great care of their tigers!

 

 

#7 Puddles – Oregon Ducks

Not only is Puddles a reminder of Donald Duck – a favorite Disney character, the mascot has also been in a SportsCenter commercial. No wonder Oregon had a successful year in 2010.

 

 

#6 Ralphie the Buffalo – Colorado Buffaloes

Did you know Ralphie is a female? Although female buffaloes are smaller in stature, I wouldn’t get too close to this wildly fierce animal.

 

 

#5 Traveler – Southern California Trojans

Debuting in 1961, Traveler is a beautiful Trojan horse with a warrior accompanying the striking creature. Although Traveler looks snow white, he is actually a gray horse with hair that turned completely white.

 

 

#4 Sebastian the Ibis - Miami Hurricanes

Miami gets an “A” for effort in creative mascots. The Ibis is a native bird that is the last to seek shelter prior to a hurricane.

 

 

#3 Bucky Badger – Wisconsin Badgers

Although Bucky is as cute as a mascot can get, don’t let that deceive you. Badgers are known for their fighting nature, so beware of Wisconsin.

 

 

#2 Bevo – Texas Longhorns

One of the most popular mascots in sports history, Bevo is celebrated throughout the university and the Longhorn Steer has even influenced the uniform’s color scheme.

 

#1 Uga – Georgia Bulldogs

Unfortunately, Uga VIII passed away in February of this year, so now we wait for the next UGA Bulldog to occupy a pimped-out red and black dog house with air-conditioning and bags of ice at his beck-and-call.

Strangely wonderful products always seem to leave one pondering, “What was that person thinking?” and possibly even, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Over the years, Fanatics has sold some of the weirdest, funniest and most innovative fan gear across all teams. Take a peek at ten fan favorites that will leave you wanting your own!

#1 Spirit Fingerz Gloves

Show everyone you’re the ultimate fan from your head to your fingertips!

#2 Light-Up Bouncy Ball

Light up your life with a team-spirited, entertaining bouncy ball!

#3 Nail Polish Kit

Reveal your fashion flare with a 2-Pack nail polish kit with mini decals!

#4 Windup Mascot Cup

Watch your mascot of choice spin round and round with this fun cup with twist lid and straw!

#5 Wine Tote

Check out this fully insulated tote. Perfect for transporting your wine/spirits!

#6 ARMagnet

Let everyone know how big your “guns” are with this car magnet!

#7 Extension Hair Clips

Amp up your fan spirit and hair with this color extension clip!

#8 Cake Decorating Kit

Reveal your baking skills and impress everyone with this team-themed decorating kit!

#9 Ball Toss Dog Toy

No matter what team your dog roots for, this is a great way to play with your four-legged fan!

#10 Hot Dog Brander

Sear your team’s logo on a hot dog and make it a tailgating favorite!

It takes a lot to be a successful college football coach. Dedication and hard work are common denominators seen in those considered as some of the greatest ever. These legendary coaches have won numerous games, conference titles, and a few national championships. Their players followed them, their fans cheered for them, and their university alumni supported them.

With the arrival of the new 2011 Nike Coaches Sideline Polos, we thought it was fitting to list some of the best all-time coaches of college football. If you’re wondering what it takes to be on top, consider the amount of effort and commitment demonstrated by these college coaches. (They’re listed in no specific order.)

1. Bear Bryant
2. Knute Rockne
3. Joe Paterno
4. Eddie Robinson
5. Bobby Bowden
6. Woody Hayes
7. Bud Wilkinson
8. Tom Osbourne
9. Bo Schembechler
10. Amos Alonzo Stagg
11. Pete Carroll
12. Urban Meyer
13. Bob Stoops
14. Jim Tressel
15. Nick Saban
16. Barry Switzer

Avoid the holiday hassles in one single location at Football Fanatics. We have over 185,000 items across 600 teams! With huge savings for every fan, you can cross off your gift list while receiving a first-class shopping experience. Enjoy low cost flat rate shipping, 365-day hassle free returns, unconditional satisfaction guarantee and industry leading customer service. Check out our new holiday video below and have a wonderful holiday season!