I'm only a casual cfb fan, but during my forays into the online representation of the cfb fandom (mostly through reddit/r/cfb) I always marvel at the depth and breadth of the creativity, humor, and information in the fandom.
I could see where some people (and let's be honest, it's mostly men ages 18-30 or so) could immerse themselves in that subculture and have a lot of fun.
I imagine there are multiple subcultures that are large and immersive enough to totally lose yourself in and I think it's great.
(Of course there's also an element of avoidance of the real world in there, but that's more on the individual than the community)
It’s an affiliation you never lose and so many people end up coming back throughout the season for games that it turns into a large family gathering.
I’ve never seen it’s equivalent in anything else.
If you head over to rivals.com there's a paid site for each team with a private board. Obviously, some are more active than others and there are competitor sites out there as well...but it's the same experience that you're describing.
I've been on those boards for about 20 years now and it's exactly what you describe. Regulars who talk some sports, but also news, random conversation, recommendations for contractors (since many of the members live within 100 mile orbit of the Clemson), advice on investments and fiances, restaurants, etc.
It's worth every penny for the resource it's been.