There are a few schools that do well in sports other than football, and in fact don’t even have a football team. Denver University just won the men’s lacrosse championship, has won hockey and of course often wins skiing, but gave up football many years ago. Because there is no football, there are fewer women’s teams than other D1 schools of its type offer too, like women’s hockey. Damn that Title IX when it works against you.
In some of the western states, there is nothing but college football (Nebraska) so it takes on greater meaning to the residents of the state. Everyone knows someone who played there at some point, and there is no one else to cheer for, so why not?