Why Is College Football So Popular?

It’s safe to say that across the US and Canada, college sports are amongst some of the most popular and even rivalling other popular sporting options too – in fact the numbers even speak for themselves as college sports are amongst the most bet on sporting events here in the country. But what is it specifically about college sports that make it such a big draw across the US for various different sporting options, but not something that has caught on across much of the world?

 

An entry to more elite level sports

Players who make it through to college on sports scholarships already tend to be some of the best players in the country at whatever sport they play anyway, so it’s likely there are many eyes assessing their potential future from the moment they leave high school. Because of this, it’s quite unique to the US that college serves as an entry to more elite levels of sports with players being drafted right out of school to play for the professional teams – some make it a bit earlier right out of high school, and others out of college.

For this reason, it makes these school-based sports much more exciting to watch as it gives a glimpse into who the future talent may be and which names could be the next Michael Jordan, the next Tom Brady. It’s a great opportunity for the players to impress, and a great opportunity for regular sports viewers to get a bit of extra action as well as a glimpse into the future of the sport.

 

Local Pride

There are movies that perfectly depict how growing up can swell local pride, with Invincible being a prime example. The same is true when it comes to college and high school games too, particularly if it’s a school that you’ve attended too, and this leads to a fierce following and lots of local pride.

Athletes from the hometown certainly receive the biggest applause when stepping out on to the field, but it isn’t uncommon to see students move from other towns, cities, and school receive just as much as excitement as local players too. It’s all about the team and winning a college game can be just as exciting for fans as winning an elite level league game, so the hype builds all the same.

 

Name, image, and likeness

Recent changes have allowed provinces and states make their own decisions on how college athletes can profit from their name, image, and likeness and this has certainly brought more attention to college sports too. With big followings on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter, these younger athletes are learning early lessons or marketing and evolving their own brand.

Instead of being names that may only be known by the locals or regular viewers of college sports, college stars have become global superstars in their own right, and before moving to higher levels of play can already be big names globally. It has provided a fantastic opportunity for these younger players to gain a following, but also to help college football become more popular over time too.

Whilst college sports popularity largely still remains in both Canada and the US, the influence is growing outside slowly and college sports are becoming more globally recognized and followed too – the reasons above are just a few, but college sports are an exciting way to get some more games in the sports calendar and show support for up and coming talent too.

Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.

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