From elite schools on the East Coast to small schools in the middle of Ohio, students at Ohio University sport apparel from different universities throughout the country.
But why do those OU students wear sweatshirts and T-shirts that bear a different university’s logo? The Post took to the streets to find out.
For many, the reason was merely because it was convenient to throw on for a chilly day in Athens.
Take, for example, senior Megan Russell, who wore a Wittenberg University sweatshirt while walking across College Green.
“The only reason I wore this was because it was sitting in my closet,” Russell said.
Sophomore Marshall Tanner was enjoying his lunch at West 82 while wearing a University of Georgia hoodie — but he doesn’t care about the Bulldogs.
“It just happens to be a sweatshirt, and I needed a sweatshirt,” Tanner said. “I don’t necessarily love Georgia, but I don’t hate them either. I’m not really school-oriented.”
Though the school on the front of the shirt might not matter for some, it’s a deliberate decision for junior Nick Arnold.
“I wear Notre Dame stuff because I’m a fan,” Arnold said. “But if the two played, I’d probably root for Ohio.”
For others, the reason was simply the institution’s proximity to home. Senior Lauren Balazs wears the scarlet and gray of Ohio State University because she’s from Delaware, a suburb of Columbus.
Another common explanation was a family tie to a different school. Senior Amy Jones wore her University of Iowa T-shirt because her family is from the state, while junior Cody Nash wears his University of Tennessee sweatshirt because it was where his father went to school.
Two students wore Harvard University sweatshirts, but they declined to be interviewed because they were in a hurry.
Though most students at OU do support their school with green-and-white apparel, there are also many who put on another school’s colors because of family or convenience. But hunter green and white will always be the dominant colors that complement the red bricks of Uptown Athens.
ch203310@ohiou.edu
