Split Zone Duo: College Football Podcast · Richard Johnson and Alex Kirshner

What Makes a College Town? Lucy Rohden Has Figured It Out

·14 min·1 clip

Lucy Rohden argues a college town must cease to exist without its university, unlike Winston-Salem with Wake Forest.

This episode features hosts Alex Kirshner and Richard Johnson interviewing college football writer Lucy Rohden about her expertise on college towns. Rohden, known online as CFBLucy, is a frequent collaborator with the show's extended network and a passionate analyst of urbanism and college football. The conversation stems from a debate the hosts had with Rohden about what truly defines a college town. Rohden defines a college town as a place whose identity and existence are fundamentally tied to its university, using Gainesville, Florida without the University of Florida as a key example. She argues great college towns, like Madison, Athens, and Iowa City, seamlessly blend the campus and the city into one walkable entity. The discussion rules out major cities like Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, and Seattle, classifying them as cities with colleges rather than college towns. Rohden specifically excludes Columbia, South Carolina, despite the University of South Carolina, due to its large population and the physical separation between campus and downtown areas like Five Points. She also controversially disqualifies South Bend, Indiana, citing a lack of walkability from Notre Dame's campus to commercial districts as a critical failure. A surprising claim is that State College, Pennsylvania, while a definitive college town, is often omitted from "greatest" lists due to its extreme isolation and difficult travel access. Rohden explains her ranking system uses categories like in-game atmosphere, tradition, tailgating, stadium quality, food, campus aesthetics, and travel logistics. She previews a controversial upcoming ranking, stating Ohio State's game day experience in Columbus is merely "fine" with subpar tailgating and an underwhelming atmosphere. Rohden also agrees with a host that Michigan's "Big House" is overrated, arguing its massive size dilutes the fan experience. The hosts express shock that this is Rohden's first appearance, noting their long friendship and shared experience at a death metal show. The tone is conversational, enthusiastic, and deeply opinionated, driven by personal anecdotes and travels. Listeners who enjoy passionate, detail-oriented debates about college football culture and campus geography will love this episode. Those seeking strict game analysis or who are sensitive to criticisms of their alma mater's hometown might want to skip it.

As heard by us

A brisk college-town debate that turns campus geography and tailgating into the heart of the argument.

Split Zone Duo keeps the episode centered on a deceptively simple question: what counts as a college town, and where does that label start to break down?

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Why you'd press play

You want a blunt, fun argument about what actually makes a college town.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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