There’s something magical about the early 2000s in college football: low-rise jeans in the stands, fullback dives on 3rd-and-2, and coaches wearing visors with reckless confidence. But while the world moved on to NIL deals, transfer portals, and spread offenses, some programs are still clinging to their MySpace-era glory.
Whether it’s hanging a banner for a bowl win from 2003 or pretending like every year is a BCS title chase, these teams just can’t stop living in the past. Here are 25 programs still acting like it’s 2004 and Vince Young just ran through the Rose Bowl tunnel.
25. South Carolina
They still talk about that Outback Bowl win like it was a national championship. And let’s be honest, the Steve Spurrier era is still doing a lot of heavy lifting.
24. Arizona
The Desert Swarm defense is long gone, but they still act like every year could be the year. Spoiler alert: it’s not.
23. Michigan State
They’re stuck in a loop of “remember when we beat Michigan that one time?” while going 5-7. The ghost of the early Mark Dantonio years still haunts East Lansing.
22. Iowa
They’ve been running the same offense since 2002 and refuse to change, even if the scoreboard demands it. Somehow, 16-13 feels like a blowout win.
21. Nebraska
They haven’t adjusted to modern football, but the fans still show up like they’re ranked No. 1. It’s been two decades of pretending the Big 12 breakup never happened.
20. Tennessee
They love to remind you of their national title in 1998, like it happened yesterday. The early 2000s? Just the start of a long nostalgia trip.
19. Texas A&M
The facilities scream 2025, but the expectations still come from a time when beating Texas once meant everything. The swagger remains, the wins not so much.
18. UCLA
Every offseason is full of hope and 2000s-era hype videos. And yet every fall ends with a sun-drenched loss to Arizona State.
17. Georgia Tech
They haven’t been a real threat since the triple-option days, and even then, that was kind of a throwback offense. The program is stuck in the past, literally and schematically.
16. Louisville
They still think about the days of Bobby Petrino and that one Orange Bowl win like it was a dynasty. The Lamar Jackson era was a blip in a sea of early-2000s thinking.
15. Virginia Tech
Beamer Ball was electric in its heyday, but they haven’t updated their operating system since the iPod Classic. They’re still trying to win with special teams and vibes.
14. Washington
They’ll always bring up the 2001 Rose Bowl like it was last season. It’s been a revolving door of coaches and quarterbacks trying to recapture that Y2K-era magic.
13. Miami
Every time they show up in the top 25, it’s like we’ve hit rewind to 2002. Swagger doesn’t mean much when you’re barely making a bowl game.
12. Illinois
Ron Zook still gets name-dropped in Champaign like he’s a coaching legend. That 2007 Rose Bowl trip is still their version of recent success.
11. Arkansas
Houston Nutt isn’t walking through that door, but the early 2000s mindset never left Fayetteville. They talk like they’re contenders, but the record says otherwise.
10. NC State
They had some real juice in the Philip Rivers years and haven’t quite let go. Every year starts with “this could be it,” and ends with a trip to the Belk Bowl.
9. Pitt
The energy in Pittsburgh still revolves around Dave Wannstedt and “what could’ve been.” They’re always one game away from relevance, just like it’s 2004.
8. Syracuse
They’re still riding the coattails of Donovan McNabb and that random 2001 upset over Virginia Tech. Every fall feels like it’s played in standard definition.
7. Colorado
They had a blip with Deion, but let’s not forget this program still acts like it’s stuck in the Big 12 circa 2001. The past is louder than the present.
6. Auburn
The Cadillac Williams and Jason Campbell years still define the fanbase’s expectations. They’ll ride or die by “we almost beat Alabama that one time.”
5. Florida State
They’ve had some recent ups, but the Bobby Bowden era still casts a massive shadow. It’s like they’re forever trying to reboot the early 2000s dynasty without the hardware.
4. Kansas State
They’re still operating like Bill Snyder never left, even after he did, twice. Old-school grind meets old-school expectations, with modern results lagging behind.
3. Oklahoma
They’ve had success since, but the fanbase still talks about the 2000 title team like it’s their personality. Every new quarterback is expected to be Josh Heupel 2.0.
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2. Texas
They haven’t truly moved on from the glory days of Vince Young and Colt McCoy. “Texas is back” has become more of a punchline than a prophecy.
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1. Notre Dame
No matter the season, they still talk like it’s 2002 and Brady Quinn is warming up. Tradition is great, but not when it’s your entire game plan.
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