College football's Group of Six and independent programs are having a moment on social media, and the numbers back it up. Per RotoWire, a new social media power ranking tracking Instagram and X follower growth shows a handful of mid-major programs are building real momentum away from the sport's traditional power players.
RotoWire built the rankings by measuring percentage growth in Instagram and X followers for each team's official account, tracking the change from the end of last season through July 8. The result is a clear picture of which programs are winning the offseason hype cycle, regardless of conference budget or television exposure.
Kent State Leads a Group of Six Surge
The Kent State Golden Flashes sit at the top of the list, posting 18.164% growth and climbing 29 spots in the process. That kind of jump doesn't typically happen by accident, and it signals a program using the offseason to actively build its brand and reach new fans rather than simply waiting for kickoff.
Florida International is right behind at No. 2, and its rise is arguably the headline number in the entire dataset. The Panthers surged 39 spots to reach 15.518% growth, the largest positional jump of any team in the top 15. A move of that size suggests a deliberate push in content strategy, engagement, or a viral moment that resonated well beyond FIU's usual fan base.
Buffalo rounds out the top three at 13.795% growth after climbing 14 spots, giving the MAC two representatives in the top three programs nationally by this measure.
The Rest of the Top 15
Missouri State is the only program in the top five to see negative movement, slipping one spot despite still posting a strong 12.223% growth rate, a reminder that these rankings measure relative movement across the entire sport, not just raw growth. Louisiana Tech (12.198%), Toledo (11.980%) and Akron (11.844%) follow closely behind, with Akron's 58-spot climb standing out as the single biggest jump in the entire top 15.
Middle Tennessee, Tulsa, Georgia State and Navy round out the top 10, all posting growth between 10.8% and 11.8% while climbing between 15 and 36 spots. Ball State, Rice, Bowling Green and Kennesaw State close out the top 15, with Ball State's 52-spot rise the second-largest jump on the list behind only Akron.
What's Driving the Growth?
The trend line across the top of these rankings points to Group of Six and independent programs increasingly treating social media as a recruiting and revenue tool, not just a highlight reel. Programs like Kent State, Florida International and Akron don't have the built-in national audience of a blue blood, so organic follower growth has to be earned through content, personality and engagement rather than inherited brand equity.
That makes offseason growth numbers like these a useful early signal. Programs building audience now are setting themselves up for a bigger payoff once the season starts and casual fans start looking for teams to follow.
With the college football season approaching, these Group of Six and independent programs have already given fans a reason to hit follow. Whether that offseason buzz translates into wins on the field remains to be seen, but on social media, Kent State, Florida International and Akron are clearly doing something right.
FAQ
Q: Which college football team dominated social media growth over offseason?
A: Kent State Golden Flashes have dominated the offseason, jumping 29 ranking spots to number 1 since the end of the last college football season.
Q: Were there any surprising teams in the Top 5?
A: Florida State International Panthers went up a shocking 39 spots this past offseason to claim their number 2 spot on the RotoWire rankings with a 15.518% growth rate.
