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The Most Popular Beer in College Football Towns Across the US

Food + Drink
by Nickolaus Hines Nov 8, 2018

As much as college football is about winning, school pride, and rivalries, it’s also about the party. Every fall Saturday in college towns across the country, students, alumni, and fans flock to the bar to celebrate a win or forget a loss. And what people are drinking largely depends on where you are.

Upserve, a restaurant management platform, gathered data from thousands of restaurants in the US to see which beer is the most popular in big college football towns. Some of the beers are predictable: Bud Light was the top-selling beer overall and has an especially strong presence in towns with a Big 10 and SEC school. Bud Light is also in the top five for almost 40 percent of all the college towns Upserve has data for. Conferences on the coasts tended to get more crafty, though.

Granted, Upserve only has access to data from the restaurants and bars that use the platform and its point of sale system, Breadcrumb. The businesses that use Upserve likely have similar clientele and similar beer suppliers, which explains some of the seemingly obscure out-of-town beers that are popular. But regardless of the limitations, Upserve has a lot of data worth paying attention to. Upserve facilitates more than $11 billion a year in sales for restaurants and bars, and 23 million meals per month are processed through the system.

So, while not perfect, you might blend in a little more at college town bars if you order these beers.

Note: Only teams that Upserve had data for are represented on this list.

ACC

statue in front of Doak Campbell Stadium on the campus of Florida State University

Photo: Nagel Photography/Shutterstock

Georgia Tech in Atlanta: Saranac Brewery IPA

University of Pittsburgh: Miller Lite

University of Louisville: Pabst Blue Ribbon

Florida State University in Tallahassee: 3 Daughters Brewing St. Pete Beach Blonde Ale

American Athletic Conference

University of Cincinnati football field and cityscape at night

Photo: University of Cincinnati/Facebook

Temple University in Philadelphia: Allagash Saison

University of Cincinnati: Miller High Life

Big 10

Ohio State football stadium with marching band on the field

Photo: aceshot1/Shutterstock

Ohio State University in Columbus: Rogue 8 Hop IPA

University of Minnesota in Minneapolis: Coors Light

University of Michigan in Ann Arbor: Bell’s Brewery Two Hearted Ale

University of Nebraska in Lincoln: Rogue 8 Hop IPA

University of Wisconsin in Madison: Miller Lite

Penn State in State College: Grey Sail Pour Judgement IPA

University of Iowa in Iowa City: Bud Light

Big 12

Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium at campus of University of Texas

Photo: Ken Wolter/Shutterstock

University of Texas in Austin: Bull & Bush Brewery Man Beer

Texas Tech in Lubbock: Thomas Creek Up the Creek

University of Oklahoma in Norman: Union Craft Brewing Company Anthem Golden Ale

Texas Christian University in Fort Worth: Coors Light

PAC 12

campus of the University of Arizona near the Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium

Photo: EQRoy/Shutterstock

University of Washington in Seattle: Rainier Beer

University of Colorado in Boulder: Grey Sail Pour Judgement IPA

University of Oregon in Eugene: Guinness

University of California, Berkeley: Miller High Life

University of Arizona in Tucson: Modelo Especial

Arizona State University in Tempe: Dragoon Brewing Company Dragoon IPA

SEC

University of Tennessee in Knoxville: Bud Light

University of Georgia in Athens: Guinness

Texas A&M University in College Station: Cycle Brewing Rare DOS

University of Florida in Gainesville: Corona Light

University of Missouri in Columbia: Saranac Brewery IPA

University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa: Guinness

University of Arkansas in Fayetteville: Capital Brewing Co. Trail Pale Ale

Independent

Notre Dame cheerleaders, coaches, and players take the field

Photo: Jeremy R. Smith Sr./Shutterstock

University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana: Miller Lite

Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah: Bud Light

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