Let me go ahead and throw this out there from the beginning: College football is so much better than pro football. While I still watch NFL games, if it's not the Panthers or the Steelers then it's hard to keep my attention. When I look at the lineup for the television lineup for college football each Saturday, I get a little bit giddy about many of the matchups that I get a chance to see. With all giddiness aside, here are the reasons why I love college football and why it's way better than pro football:
- College football is pure - Unless they play for Miami, Ohio State, or some other crooked football factory, these kids playing football on Saturdays are playing for the love of the game. Since most of them will not play football after college, the average team will have more than its own fair share of average players. Stars really do shine in college but even the "little guys" can do amazing things on the national stage (see Wake Forest 2006). As is evidenced by the lockout and that lifestyles/crimes/attitudes/love of money of many pro players, there seems to be a bit of a different rationale for playing in the NFL.
- College football is all about opportunity Part 1 - Each year in America there are roughly 100,000 high school seniors playing football (at least that what Google tells me). Of those, 9,000 get a chance to play in college. That's close to 10% which may not seem like a huge number but compared to how many college players make it to the NFL - only 215 each year or only about 2.4 % - you can see that college provides more of an opportunity than the NFL ever could. Sure the NFL has their programs where many players and teams give back to the community, but college give away educations each year that many if not most players could not afford.
- College football is all about opportunity Part 2 - Many love the NFL because they only take the best of the best. Everyone once in a while an "underdog" will make it, but this guy is usually one whose primary deficit is that he's considered too short or undersized (he almost certainly dominated in college). On the college level, the underdog can indeed succeed. Texas A&M has the 12th Man tradition where any student on campus can try out for the team and make a name for himself as an active member of the special teams unit. And don't forget the opportunity that college football affords to walk on players, those guys that shined in high school but weren't given a serious look by most recruiters. Just about anybody can have the opportunity to actually wear a college uniform if they want it bad enough.
- Nothing beats the atmosphere of college football - Yes, I've been to a couple of pro football games and the intensity of the crowd was, well, intense. But it also wasn't very family friendly or hospitable. The amount of beer and idiotic behavior was uncountable. No, I'm not a prude, but I do go to the games for the games and I like to take my kids. College football has its share of drunks in the parking lot and smugglers in the stands, yet the authentic electricity in the stands is undeniable. It's not so much that you paid a lot of money to be there as it is that you have a vested interest in being there. The bands, the energy, and the fact that you have class with these guys makes it all the more special.
- Finally, college football is the best because anyone really can win it all - Well, maybe not the national title, but as a Wake Forest fan (and former student), I have witnessed my share of monumental upsets that caused campus celebrations well into the night. And when a highly ranked team gets upset on national television, the hype that follows is almost intoxicating. This happens in the NFL as well, but not to the extent as it does in the college game.
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