College Football Is Back … And It Could Shape Up To Be An Interesting Season

Say what you will about college football, but it hasn’t exactly been setting any records of action and engagement in recent years. Part of that, according to many experts, is due to the chasm between schools with a huge athletic budget and rivals that struggle to make ends meet.

Bridging the funding gap

As with major-league teams (remember when it was fashionable in some circles to accuse the Yankees of essentially buying pennants?), it’s pretty easy to determine a college team’s overall success by taking a look at how much money it has to spend.

Resources alone can’t make up for talent, but offering a robust athletic program is a reliable way to attract some of the best players.

And it’s true that of the seven teams in the top 10 played that day, all of them won … by a lot. The average score of these games was 45.3 to 9.7.

Critics will say that the conference realignment that’s been going on recently is only serving to make games less exciting and more predictable. While there’s some evidence to support this pessimistic view, it’s important for fans of the sport to maintain an open mind.

Welcome to the boneyard

It’s often fun to root for the underdog, and college football has historically offered plenty of opportunities to do just that. In the modern era, there might be more chances than ever before. And when one of those comparatively disadvantaged teams scores a “boneyard win” over a heavily favored foe, it’s enough to spark some renewed interest in the sport — like victories by Fresno State, Northern Illinois, and Texas State on Saturday.

It’s impossible to tell what the future of college football holds, but if fans look for excitement, chances are they’ll be able to find it.

Chris Agee September 4th, 2023

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