Such behavior may simply be kids being kids, but since college players are less experienced than pros, they’re more susceptible to being affected by the raucous atmosphere at road games. The Wisconsin band, for example, has recently been disciplined for its uncouth behavior toward rival teams. In the past, this has included things like making up humorously obscene lyrics to their rival’s fight song. Add to that mix the students themselves, usually packed into designated student sections where undergrads employ ever-increasingly creative ways to fly their colors and show support for their team. To begin with, college games attract a crowd of alumni, fans who have invested more than just the price of a game ticket they’ve spent what many consider the best four (or more) years of their lives at the school. This kind of investment means that game day atmospheres at NFL games can rarely match the emotion of college game days. In the words of Lou Holtz, the legendary, former coach of Notre Dame and South Carolina, “They don’t get any salary, they just wanna win.” And since only a handful of players on the best teams will go on to the NFL, most college players are fighting for team pride and tradition, rather than a signing bonus or contract. Despite the rise of national recruiting, most teams generally field players who grew up in the same region as the school they are attending. NFL teams are generally comprised of what amounts to mercenaries, playing for the highest bidder. In college football, the players simply care more. The type of player who performs for those packed stadiums differs too. This discrepancy is in part because major college teams draw from all over their state, as opposed to just one metropolitan region. The most popular of those teams play in stadiums that hold over 100,000 fans, while NFL stadiums hold no more than 80,000. While major professional sports leagues field an average of roughly 30 teams, the NCAA’s grouping for Division-I football alone includes 119 squads, spread across the country in every state. The NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball may have a more visible global presence but, judging by sheer numbers alone, collegiate football truly is the all-American game. When it comes to a sport’s impact on the fabric of American pop culture, none can rival college football.
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