College Football Has a Money Problem. It Also Has Moments Like These.
College football has become a difficult sport to defend.
The numbers are staggering. Coaching buyouts reach into the tens of millions. NIL collectives are spending like professional franchises. Television contracts continue to balloon, conference realignment is driven almost entirely by media revenue, and every offseason seems to introduce another debate about money. It’s understandable why many fans, and even those inside college athletics, wonder whether the sport has lost its way.
And yet…there are still those moments.
The kind that give you goosebumps whether you’re a lifelong season ticket holder or simply happen to flip on a game at the right time. Eighty thousand people singing the same song. A team charging onto the field behind a tradition that’s been passed down for generations. A stadium holding its breath before erupting into pure joy. Alumni hugging complete strangers because, for a few hours on a Saturday, everyone remembers exactly why they fell in love with their school in the first place. Those traditions create football fans, lifelong alumni, donations, school pride, and communities that remain connected decades after graduation. That’s part of what universities point to when they defend the enormous investment in college football: the sport has an unmatched ability to unite people and strengthen the identity of an institution.
So while the business of college football may feel more complicated than ever, I thought it would be fun to step back from NIL, lawsuits, and conference politics for a moment and celebrate the moments that remind us why so many people care in the first place.
Here are My Top College Football Moments Every Fan Should Experience at Least Once.
