NextName

College sports fan engagement

Find your people. Follow the games.

NextName is a free app for college sports fans. Join a fan group for your team or start your own, plan game watch parties with people near you, and follow athletes from your school without leaving the group chat. Everything runs on the same feed, so your crew stays in one place.

Get the appHow it works
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Fan groups

Your crew for every team

Your crew for every team

Create a fan group or join one. Talk through the season with people who care as much as you do.

Built by fans

Groups are made by fans, for fans. Organize watch parties, swap takes, and plan road trips.

Find your corner

Search by team or sport and drop into the conversation in seconds.

Popular groups

Examples

Illini Faithful

Illinois

Growing

Game-day plans and postgame takes.

BasketballFootball

Wildcat Corner

Northwestern

New

Tailgates, road trips, and weekly recaps.

Football

Maize and Blue Crew

Michigan

Growing

Watch parties and rivalry-week planning.

FootballHockey

Buckeye Block

Ohio State

Growing

Scarlet and gray fans talking every snap.

Football

Badger Den

Wisconsin

New

Camp Randall plans and hoops chatter.

BasketballFootball

Hawkeye Huddle

Iowa

New

Wrestling, hoops, and a wave for the kids.

BasketballWrestling

Independent fan platform. Team names used nominatively. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any school, conference, or the NCAA.

For fans

Tell us who you root for.

Drop your email and pick your school. We'll show you the fan groups and watch parties forming around your teams.

Get notified when your schools' athletes join.

Tell us who you cheer for. When their athletes drop content, you'll be first to know.

By signing up you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.

Events

Find events near you

Never miss a moment

Find watch parties, meetups, and game-day events for the teams you follow.

Show up together

RSVP, see who is going, and meet your group in person.

Close to home

Browse events near you and add them to your plans.

Upcoming events

Examples
Watch partyThis weekend

Rivalry watch party

Local sports bar

Catch the rivalry game with your group on the big screens.

Game daySeason opener

Season opener tailgate

Stadium lot

Meet up before kickoff, grab a spot, and walk in together.

MeetupNext week

Fan group meetup

Campus brewery

Say hi to your group in person and plan the road trips.

CommunityLater this month

Community service day

Neighborhood park

Give back alongside other fans and local athletes.

Watch partyTournament week

Tournament viewing

Member apartment

Bracket talk, snacks, and every buzzer-beater together.

Game dayHome opener

Home opener meetup

Arena plaza

Find your group outside the gates before tip-off.

News and athletes

Follow athletes. Read the news.

Follow your favorite college athletes and stay close to the teams you care about. News, updates, and fan commentary. All sourced from athletes and fan communities, not official school channels.

Groups built around the teams you follow

Examples
  • Football game scene for a Penn State fan group
    Growing

    Happy Valley Watch Crew

    Penn State · Football

    Next up: Whiteout watch party

  • Basketball scene for a Purdue fan group
    New

    Boiler Block Party

    Purdue · Basketball

    Next up: Season opener watch party

  • Basketball practice scene for a Michigan State fan group
    Growing

    Spartan Section

    Michigan State · Basketball

    Next up: Rivalry week meetup

  • Volleyball scene for a Nebraska fan group
    Growing

    Husker Volley Crew

    Nebraska · Volleyball

    Next up: Match night watch party

  • Football gameday scene for a Minnesota fan group
    New

    Gopher Gameday

    Minnesota · Football

    Next up: Tailgate meetup

  • Soccer gameday scene for an Indiana fan group
    New

    Hoosier Pitch Side

    Indiana · Soccer

    Next up: Postgame meetup

Independent fan platform. Team names used nominatively. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any school, conference, or the NCAA.

Game day

How do game watch parties work?

Groups plan their season around them. Here's how your crew gets from group chat to game day.

  1. Join a group for your team

    Search by school or sport, or start a group of your own and invite the fans you already know.

  2. See what is coming up

    Hosts post watch parties and meetups to the group calendar with the where and the when.

  3. RSVP in the app

    A head count helps the host pick the right spot and save you a seat.

  4. Show up and watch together

    Meet your people, talk through every call, and add photos to the event wall after.

See how NextName worksGet the app

Between games

What keeps a group going between games?

The season has more off days than game days. Groups on NextName stay active through both.

  • Friends from the group

    Add the people you meet at events. Friend requests and messages live in the app.

  • The group chat

    Postgame takes and plans for the next watch party, in one thread.

  • The photo wall

    Every event gets a shared wall. Add your shots and relive the night.

For athletes

Are you an athlete?

Your fans are already organizing. Join by request, post updates for the people in your corner, and see the groups that show up for your games.

Request to join

Founding schools

Athletic department?

We're inviting a small group of founding schools. Request early access to help shape the platform.

Get early access

Download the app

Find your people.

Available on iPhone. Join fan groups, find events, and follow your favorite college athletes.

Get the appFor fans

Already have an account? Log in

Updated July 2026