Lost in the kerfuffles over court cases involving the NCAA and the ‘Protect College Sports Act’ heading to the Senate floor this that week for a vote is the fact that we will play college football this month after another wild offseason of drama.
Can you feel it?
As football teams hit the practice field this week for the start of fall camp, the anticipation builds for what is to come in just 25 days after a majority of the headlines over the past seven months have centered around the future.
The expansion of the College Football Playoff. Congressional leaders trying to garner enough from SEC and Big Ten leaders to pass legislation that will have major ramifications on the future of college athletics. Court cases involving athletes who feel they were wronged by the NCAA installing a new 5-for-5 eligibility rule that gives athletes five years to play five seasons in all sports.
Bundle all of this together and we once again had an offseason that did not center around what was going to take place on the football field this year.
I am not implying that what is taking place off the field is not important, far from it. The NCAA put itself in this spot, and it’s having to spend an insane amount of money to defend their decisions in courtrooms across the country.
What I am saying is that the average fan who just wants to cheer on their team, or call into their local postgame show to unload on whomever is coaching their favorite squad after a loss, is tired of hearing about the everyday noise that has overtaken the offseason.
And guess what? I don’t blame them one bit. In reality, I agree with them.
We spent college football media days clamoring over the future of college athletics and how much money it’s going to take in hopes of competing for a national championship. At the end of the day, fans that pay for tickets, parking, memorabilia, food, hotels and gas just want to sit in their seats to cheer on their team.
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Whether that’s inside the stadium or sitting on the couch with their friends, the conversation around what college sports will look like in two or three years has gotten old, quick.
Since the inception of NIL, which was highlighted by Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher trading jabs about how much money was spent on the Texas A&M roster, the offseason talk has shifted from the on-field product to which lawyer is representing a player in their fight against the NCAA.
Again, that is just the world we live in now. It’s not going away any time soon, no matter if Congress passes the ‘Protect College Sports Act’ or not.
All across the country, players and coaches are preparing for the upcoming season. At the same time, fans are booking hotel rooms or deciding how much money they will need to spend on streaming platforms so they can enjoy a season of college football.
We had plenty of drama though, thanks to figures like Brendan Sorsby, Lane Kiffin, the entire Texas Tech athletic department, Ole Miss and even Bill Belichick.
In Austin, there are Texas fans wondering if this is the year in which Steve Sarkisian can get the Longhorns playing for a national championship.
Out in Southern California, USC fans are already preparing to hold a picket line if Lincoln Riley cannot get the Trojans back into the CFP conversation.
The list goes on, and on. And, I love it. The local radio stations are getting everything together from a technical standpoint to host postgame shows that are like therapy sessions for fans.
We have also spent this offseason clamoring over who’s the best conference in college football.
Is it the Big Ten or SEC? Well, who has won the past three national championships? Curt Cignetti rightfully stood at the podium last week in Chicago and made that point abundantly clear.
Will the ACC make another run at a College Football Playoff title game appearance, and can that team once again be Miami? Is this the final season in which Dabo Swinney will lead Clemson down the hill? How many vacancies will the ACC have after this season comes to an end?
There is a lot of pressure on schools to deliver, and if you aren’t in the CFP conversation when the first weekend of November rolls around, then fans will be prepared to start conversing about how much money was spent on a roster that came up short.
We have entered the most nerve-wracking point of the year in college football. The ‘expectation’ period, where everyone still has a chance.
This is what we crave. This is what we find ourselves stressing over when life might be kicking us outside the sports realm.
And sure, there will be plenty of noise around legislation and court cases that are currently ongoing off the field.
Unfortunately, that’s the world we live in right now when it comes to college athletics. But, the beautiful sight of your favorite team running out of the locker room is nearly upon us.
Congratulations to you all. We’ve made it to another season of college football.
