The SEC has proven over and over that it has the country's best football teams. And according to a recent study, the conference's domination may spill over from the field to the stands.

Research done by Discover Card and the pollsters at Rasmussen Reports found that SEC fans are the most loyal to their teams. Discover used four factors to judge fan loyalty, and SEC fans came in first in each one

-- How important it is for them to watch their favorite team play each week.
-- How closely they follow their teams.
-- How much they wear their school's colors.
-- How well family and friends know who their favorite team is.

The study also ranked the top five most loyal fan bases in the country, with an SEC school finishing atop the list.

But it may not be the one you would have initially guessed. It was not the fans of two-time defending national champion Alabama, or even Florida or Georgia. No, the study found that the most loyal supporters in the country were Auburn fans.

Interestingly, of the five schools with the most loyal fan bases, Auburn was the only SEC institution. Three of the five were from the Big Ten (Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin) while the final school is in the Big 12 (West Virginia).

(H/T to Barstool Sports)