AMERICAN FOOTBALL AND COLLEGES

Sales are going through the roof and predicting a rosy future. As reported by “ESPN”, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recorded a turnover of 1.28 billion dollars in the 2023/24 financial year - a significant increase compared to the previous year with around 1.14 billion dollars. It increases attention as does the latest teen patti real.

Costs for college students are going through the roof

While universities continue to increase their revenues, things are looking less lucrative for students. This is because tuition fees for universities in the USA far exceed those in Europe and continue to rise.

This is particularly evident when studying at private educational institutions. According to US News, the average cost of tuition fees at a public college in your home state for 2023/24 was USD 10,662, which is around a quarter of the average cost of a year at a private college at USD 42,162. Considering a standard period of study of four years, this adds up to considerable costs.

Scholarships are available for students, but these only cover a fraction of the costs. According to statistics from “NCSA College Recruiting”, less than two percent of high school graduates receive an athletic scholarship.

Thus, the high fees also play a significant role in students' pursuit of academic and athletic excellence in college and further drive the athletic rivalry between universities: winning for the team and for the supporters.

IS COLLEGE FOOTBALL MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN THE NFL?

Apart from the rules and regulations, the long tradition makes college football more interesting than the NFL. After all, football originated as an independent sport at American universities. Some of the teams have been playing at the same venues since the second half of the 19th century. The colors are therefore also classic. The team from the Catholic Notre Dame University, for example, plays with golden helmets, which are repainted by students every Friday evening in the style of the golden dome of the main building.

And the jerseys are just the beginning: marching bands, fan chants and organized guest fans provide even more atmosphere. In contrast to the NFL, there are away trips in college for historical reasons: In the pros, the distances are usually too great for traveling fans, while college teams play the majority of their games in regional divisions and leagues.

If you live in Alabama, a southern state without a professional team in any of the four major US sports, you have a choice between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers. There is nothing in between. In 1907, the competition escalated to such an extent that the “Iron Bowl”, as the derby is known, was not played again until 1948. Since then, the game has been held again, and each time Alabama is in a state of emergency. Such passion can only be found in college.

“In the NFL, the competition is more balanced than in college,” says SPIEGEL editor Martin Vornweg-Brückner

A game like Texas A&M against the Arkansas Razorbacks last weekend shows perfectly why college football can be wonderful. 50,000 spectators in Arlington, a great atmosphere, a high level of play and excitement right to the end. Nevertheless, the NFL is more fun, and there are several reasons for that.

First of all, you need a bit of luck to come across college football games with the characteristics described above. Most of the time, there is a stark imbalance and the favorites' victories are a mere formality. A few results from the weekend: Florida beating Towson 38-0, Iowa winning 48-3 over MT and Michigan even beating Rutgers 52-0. Anyone who enjoys such one-sided demonstrations also takes the duel with his small, defenseless nephew at the ping-pong table seriously.

What's missing in college is exactly what characterizes the NFL: Balance. The greatest talents gather under the roofs of elite football schools like Clemson, Auburn and, of course, Alabama. As confusing as the structure of the college leagues is to outsiders, the outcome seems predictably cemented. Year after year, the same teams dominate the action. Alabama has consistently been one of the top four teams in the country for the past five years. The university has the most active NFL players and also set the tone at this year's draft with ten players selected - three of them in round one.