There is nothing like sitting down on a Saturday morning to watch a bunch of non-professional athletes play a game that consists of who can hit who harder, right?
With the NFL starting up, you could simply spend your Saturday relaxing, going to the beach or hanging with friends. According to the NCAA’s official website, college football has an injury rate of 8.1 percent, making it the sport that causes the most injuries. Over the past five years, 10,500 concussions have been reported in the NCAA, and almost a third of those have been suffered in college football.
Some might ask why waste your day watching college student-athletes tear ACLs, pull hamstrings or, most of all, get concussions? Or why not watch the professionals who are more talented? Is it worth it to watch a game played by 18-to-22-year-old athletes who risk having their future ruined by one physical play?
Yes, it is 100 percent worth it. With rosters loaded with 60-70 players who are from all over the world coming together to play for one common goal, the comradery of the athletes makes it well worth the watch.
Comradery is best defined as a spirit of friendship and community between two people or a group. There is comradery built between the players on the team and between the players and coaches. Perhaps most importantly, football unites the players and the community around them.
With PLNU not having a football team, it may be difficult for some to understand why college football is such a big deal. But, I can personally attest that college football is something bigger than just the team or even the school. When it comes to Division I college football, there is nothing like gameday. Tailgates, rallies, pre-game festivities and cookouts headline what a game day is all about. People will show up days in advance for the best parking spots and wake up early in the morning on game day to meal prep for the day, play pick-up football or meet fellow supporters of the team that they are cheering for. Everyone who shows up from three days before kick off or five minutes before kick off all have a common goal in mind for their team: a national championship.
If you are a fan of being a part of something that has a greater meaning to it than just a ball being moved around a grass or turf field to score points, then Saturdays are the day for you. No, they are not professional athletes, but they have the drive to become professionals. They are all working for the dream to be a professional at their sport, and without this level of competition, this level of work and desire, they will not reach their dreams.
If you aren’t a fan of college football or think it is too dangerous of a sport for young men, think about the bigger picture. These men are chasing dreams, trying to make communities of people and supporters around the world happy to be a part of something that is much bigger than just a non-professional game.
So, if college football has never been your thing and you spend your Saturdays elsewhere, I challenge you to take a look at what college football means to so many. Not often do you see a stadium filled with 20,000-100,000 fans watching kids play a game that they don’t get paid to play, but it’s a dream they are chasing after anyways.
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