Why I Love College Football

The college football season has just come to a close with the end of the all-new College Football Playoffs, and watching my favorite team, Notre Dame, make it all the way to the championship for the first time in over a decade made me realize just how much the sport has meant to me throughout my life. 

I may say it sarcastically, but one of my biggest blessings has been growing up a college football fan. Some of my earliest childhood memories are waking up to the sound of “ESPN College Gameday” playing on the TV every Saturday morning in the fall and watching the game on the couch with my family as my dad paced the living room. 

I have learned so much about different regions of the country while traveling to football games, and the passion of the fan culture is truly unmatched. Seeing grown men and eight-year-old girls bond as they make noise on third down to help the defense and having a topic of conversation outside of work and politics are testaments to the power of what many now consider to be America’s game. It is one of the few lasting connections left as the world gets more distant and digital. 

I tasted my first gumbo outside Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, jumped around to House of Pain in Wisconsin, sang “Sweet Home Alabama” in Bryant-Denny Stadium and celebrated my ninth birthday with gelato in Ireland before the Notre Dame vs. Navy game. These are experiences I will never forget and that have bonded my family over our common love of the game and what it means to us.

In my household, we jokingly nickname the Saturdays from Labor Day to the end of the season “sacred Saturdays.” Sports have deepened my relationships with my family and defined my character in so many ways. They have provided a platform for me and my family to spend time together, giving me an easy way to connect with my dad and 11-year-old little brother. Instead of the YMCA’s daddy-daughter date night, my dad, sister and I chose to go to LSU vs. Alabama annually instead. I will always cherish the time with my dad under those stadium lights and the exposure it gave me to different cultures and campuses. Our common interest in football allowed us to share so much more than a YMCA tea party ever could. 

College football also puts the pursuit of excellence center stage and has inspired so many young athletes, including little me, who dressed up as Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd for Halloween and did her fifth-grade biography report on player Rudy Ruettiger. The inspiration of watching insane highlight reels and seeing the physical and mental endurance of the athletes always pushed me to want to do the same. 

When I became more serious about sports, my parents were always there with examples of the work ethic required to be the best, often using quotes from football legends like coach Nick Saban. Because of this, I associate football with not only resilience and the will to win, but also inspiration to have strong character off the field. For instance, “ESPN College Gameday” always shares feature stories to make the game even more personal and highlight the connections that make football special. It is a sport of the highest highs and lowest lows, of last-second upsets and statement victories. In an age that often offers people the easy way out, it is comforting that there is a sport that showcases people who are still willing to do hard things. 

College football is centered around community. The sport would not have its national following without its sentiments of passion and belonging. I have countless unforgettable memories attached to the sport, from watching a goal line stand in the pouring rain, to eating steak sandwiches on the steps of a residence hall, to throwing a football around in the green until kickoff time. These core memories do not revolve around screens; they are full of movement, experience and life. Being a football fan allows me to yell at the top of my lungs, rather than spend another weekend quietly on the couch. 

The game gave me and every other fan something to look forward to and rally around every week. Even if sports are not quite your thing, there is always the electrifying stadium atmosphere, band performances and tailgate stops to get excited about. Everyone enjoys feeling like a part of something bigger than themselves, and college football is the perfect avenue. I know that so many people love the National Football League (go Chiefs!), but I love that college football, though NIL deals and scholarships play into it, is a bigger decision about more than simply how much money a player can make. The players represent the entire university and are shaped by its unique culture and tradition. It generates huge revenue for athletics departments. Games are an experience with buildup that leads up to them the entire week across college campuses and give students, alumni and loyal fans something to connect over. 

Though I have to wait another seven months for its return, college football will continue to be one of my favorite things — to read about, talk about and speculate about. The traditions, the passion and the comradery make it one of the coolest establishments in America.

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