Progrum? Program? Which Applies to YOUR School?
A Guide to how Each Head Coach SHOULD Address their College Football Progrum.
The cliche for a lot of athletic programs, football coaches, boosters, you name it…is that the football program is the front porch of the university.
Objectively, this is a fact for many colleges. Football often generates the most revenue, is the most visible team no matter the success, and is often the most popular sport on campus. Furthermore, college football is business, full stop. As much as it sucks to admit it, that’s where we are now and have been for the past few decades. So as a business, it is important for their CEO’s, aka Head Coaches, to know how to formally address the companies they oversee.
Progrum: More than an Accent.
When we think of coaches that say the word progrum, we naturally are drawn to schools in the southeastern part of the country. Apart from the fact that states have different accents, let alone different accents in different parts of said states, the term “progrum” is one that is widely used in a college football landscape. However, I think a progrum is a lot more than just an accent. It is a culture within a progrum.
How does one define progrum? Well, for me, yes, geography does have a lot to do with it. But it also has a lot to do with how fans see the progrum. How invested are they? How rich is their football history? How likely are fans of this school actually likely to say the word “progrum”? How often do their fans call into the Paul Finebaum Show?
Just kidding on that last part. Like I said, this isn’t all about geography. The point is, there are certain colleges where the Head Coach should ALWAYS address the progrum as such. And as you’ll see in my lists, it’s not all about geography.
Program: The opposite End?
I don’t think the opposite of a progrum is a program. It’s a bit more complicated than that. For example, there’s tons of schools up north who might have progrum energy, but their boosters may not appreciate the terminology and aesthetic associated with “progrum”. Also, it is VERY difficult for schools who consider themselves places of higher intellectual learning progrums as well. There are some programs now that might have considered themselves progrums in the past. I shall note them later.
A program is, like a progrum, also about the fan base. Many college fan bases are diverse by nature, but some may have program energy from their fans while the product and culture of the football teams screams “progrum”. There’s an interesting tug of war there, and I look forward to listing it off with you.
Now let’s to a quick snapshot of the scale of when a coach should refer to their operation as a “program” vs. progrum”.
ALWAYS Progrum - Never deviate Coach!
MOSTLY Progrum - You know which one to stick with, mostly Coach!
50/50 Program/Progrum - Know your audience, Coach!
MOSTLY Program - You know there’s a little “progrum” there Coach, even if it’s in the past.
ALWAYS Program - Don’t even think about it Coach!
Below you’ll find select FCS schools put each into the program vs. progrum category in terms of how the Head Coach SHOULD address them.
FCS
Always Progrum
FAMU
Eastern Kentucky
Grambling State
Mostly Progrum
South Carolina State
Youngstown State
Central Arkansas
50/50 Progrum/Program
North Dakota State
South Dakota State
Furman
Mostly Program
William & Mary
Howard
Samford
Always Program
Harvard
Richmond
Eastern Washington
Below you’ll find the FBS split into the aforementioned categories. I went through each conference and put the schools where I see fit. Some will have light explanations.
Always Progrum
Clemson (ACC)
Florida State (ACC)
SMU (ACC) - Don’t believe me? Watch Pony Excess.
Oklahoma State (Big 12)
Texas Tech (Big 12)
West Virginia (Big 12) - Speaking from personal experience and proximity to WVU.
Jacksonville State (CUSA) - pretty sure the band is also referred to as a “progrum” there.
Alabama (SEC)
Arkansas (SEC)
Auburn (SEC)
Florida (SEC)
Georgia (SEC)
LSU (SEC)
Ole Miss (SEC) - yeah, I struggled with this one.
Mississippi State (SEC)
Oklahoma (SEC)
Tennessee (SEC)
Texas (SEC)
Texas A&M (SEC)
Appalachian State (SBC)
Georgia Southern (SBC)
Arkansas State (SBC)
Louisiana (SBC)
South Alabama (SBC)
Southern Miss. (SBC)
Texas State (SBC)
Troy (SBC)
Mostly Progrum
East Carolina (AAC) - they would love to get back to their “progrum” energy of the past.
North Texas (AAC)
Memphis (AAC)
UAB (AAC)
Louisville (ACC)
NC State (ACC)
Baylor (Big 12) - remnants of the SWC dripping off of them
Houston (Big 12)
TCU (Big 12)
Ohio State (Big Ten) - Big “progrum” energy, not sure a coach could ALWAYS say it though.
Sam Houston State (CUSA)
Western Kentucky (CUSA)
Miami of Ohio (MAC) - got some low key “progrum” ass energy up there.
Wyoming (MWC)
Kentucky (SEC)
Missouri (SEC)
South Carolina (SEC)
Coastal Carolina (SBC)
JMU (SBC) - with unique insight to the demographics of the fan base, I can say us hardcore JMU CFB fans love a coach that says “progrum”, but given the makeup of the school, going full “progrum” seems unlikely.
Marshall (SBC)
50/50 Progrum/Program
Tulsa (AAC)
Tulane (AAC) - lost a lot of that “progrum” energy leaving the SEC.
USTA (AAC)
South Florida (AAC)
University of Miami (ACC) - The difference between what hardcore fans and alumni want is real. Best to split the difference as a Head Coach.
UNC (ACC) - similar energy to the U.
Virginia Tech (ACC) - If there was an in-between, I would put VA Tech there. Should probably lean slightly more “progrum” here Coach.
UCF (Big 12)
Colorado (Big 12)
Iowa State (Big 12)
Kansas State (Big 12)
Utah (Big 12)
Nebraska (Big Ten)
Penn State (Big Ten)
USC (Big Ten) - biggest “progrum” energy on the West Coast. A coach could definitely get away with saying progrum here.
Wisconsin (Big Ten)
Kennesaw State (CUSA)
LA Tech (CUSA)
Liberty (CUSA) - Honestly, I have no idea. Putting them here was about as nice as I could be. It’s hard to get a reading from a place from where no light escapes.
MTSU (CUSA)
UTEP (CUSA)
Akron (MAC)
Bowling Green (MAC)
Central Michigan (MAC)
Western Michigan (MAC)
Boise State (MWC)
Utah State (MWC)
Washington State (PAC-12)
Oregon State (PAC-12)
Georgia State (SBC) - they SHOULD have more “progrum” energy…
ULM (SBC) - Sorry Commish…
Mostly Program
Charlotte (AAC) - They would love more “progrum” energy, but it’s hard in Charlotte.
Florida Atlantic (AAC)
Rice (AAC)
Georgia Tech (ACC) - Prior to integration, school had STRONG “progrum” energy.
Wake Forest (ACC)
U of Arizona (Big 12) - I think they want more “progrum” energy, harder as a basketball school.
Arizona State (Big 12)
BYU (Big 12) - one of the hardest to get vibes on.
Cincinnati (Big 12)
Iowa (Big Ten)
Maryland (Big Ten) - You’d be surprised. You could slip in a “progrum” here and there.
Michigan State (Big Ten)
Minnesota (Big Ten) - Would have been more “progrum” prior to 1960.
Oregon (Big Ten)
Purdue (Big Ten)
UCLA (Big Ten)
Washington (Big Ten)
FIU (CUSA)
New Mexico State (CUSA)
Ball State (MAC)
Eastern Michigan (MAC)
Kent State (MAC)
Ohio (MAC)
Toledo (MAC)
Colorado State (MWC)
Hawaii (MWC)
Nevada (MWC)
New Mexico (MWC)
San Diego State (MWC)
ODU (SBC)
Always Program
Notre Dame (Ind.) - Notre Dame fans, as passionate as anyone about college football, are not likely to be caught dead referring to their program as a “progrum”. Their Head Coach should follow suit.
UCONN (Ind.)
UMASS (Ind.)
Army (AAC)
Navy (AAC)
Temple (AAC)
Boston College (ACC)
Cal (ACC)
Duke (ACC)
Pitt (ACC)
Syracuse (ACC)
Stanford (ACC)
UVA (ACC)
Kansas (Big 12)
Illinois (Big Ten)
Indiana (Big Ten)
Michigan (Big Ten) - I’d love to have a Michigan coach refer to them as a “progrum” LOL.
Northwestern (Big Ten)
Rutgers (Big Ten)
Buffalo (MAC)
Northern Illinois (MAC)
Air Force (MWC)
Fresno State (MWC)
San Jose State (MWC)
UNLV (MWC)
Vanderbilt (SEC) - prior to 1920, Vandy had BIG OLE “progrum” energy.
So, that was fun! It is certainly one of the most Sickos Committee lists I have ever come up with. Like I said it’s not all about geography, as many schools know they have “progrum” in their hearts up north, while other schools are too uppity to ever want to be seen as progrums in the south. Laugh a little, it’s the offseason. A little over a month until College Football is back!
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