I have no problems with college sports fans who didn't attend the school. I was a UNC fan long before I graced the campus - it was a passion I grew up with from one parent who was an alumnus and one who was not. I wanted to go to school there from the time my sister was attending, which was when I was nine. A lot of big state schools are a product of more local "pride" than pro teams because many try to recruit the best players in their state. I meet a lot of UNC fans who didn't go to school there and I'm just fine with that so long as they are there in good times and bad. If you can be a real fan of a pro team and never work for that team I don't see why people who didn't attend the school can't be real fans too.