Between NIL, absurd coaching contracts, the transfer portal, and conference "realignment", I've never been less enthused for college football.

[19333lion]

I boycotted the game the first post-Sandusky year, so that was not a normal circumstance. This new normal leaves me cold. Maybe the season getting underway on a Thursday night has me feeling, 'meh', but I really just have little passion for the game itself. I never imagined I could feel this way.

Should I seek an intervention?

 

[s1uggo72]

I boycotted the game the first post-Sandusky year, so that was not a normal circumstance. This new normal leaves me cold. Maybe the season getting underway on a Thursday night has me feeling, 'meh', but I really just have little passion for the game itself. I never imagined I could feel this way.

Should I seek an intervention?

I hear ya!! Marshall had a kid go down w a knee injury, they said he’d take a leave of absence from the team?? I mean? Why not just say he’s hurt??

 

[JoeLion]

Some time change just sucks. I agree with you on all counts and don’t like it either however that’s the world of college sports today.

 

[ODShowtime]

It's by design that we're not as passionate as we all were 10 years ago. It's a miracle that we're all still here after all the lies and personal slander and BS.

 

[PSUFTG]

I boycotted the game the first post-Sandusky year, so that was not a normal circumstance. This new normal leaves me cold. Maybe the season getting underway on a Thursday night has me feeling, 'meh', but I really just have little passion for the game itself. I never imagined I could feel this way.

Should I seek an intervention?

Not getting into all of the "whys", but it is interesting that over the last several years, two things have certainly taken place:

1 - Media contracts have increased substantially in value (for the major conferences, anyway)
2 - Attendance has declined each and every year for the last 7 years. (taking out 2020, of course)
College football attendance declines for seventh straight season to lowest average since 1981 - CBSSports.com

What does that mean?
Perhaps one reasonable conclusion would be that the Media money increases are driven largely by the networks desperation for content that actually brings eyeballs to their commercials ("live" events, like sports, are much more likely to actually engage throughout the broadcast, much more so than "produced" shows) - and that the sports media contract values are jacked up due to an otherwise lack of such content.
While, at the same time, declining attendance each year indicates a lowering of the level of passion experienced by the fans.
I don't know. I am not sure how one would definitively quantify it, but something along those lines might be congruent with the anecdotal stuff we all see, hear, and experience.

 

[psupride1997]

I still love the sport, and always will. Things change, bro.

 

[psuro]

But, you felt passionate enough to start a thread about it (?).


That's nice.

 

[Mile High Lion]

I'm going to watch but mostly because I want to go out to this sports bar I like. Win or lose I don't care much. It's a different world. At least the beer is still cold.

 

[JerseyLion]

I don't think it helps that PSU is now a fringe top 25 team instead of a team that could compete for a national championship every now and then.

 

[Pennst8]

I boycotted the game the first post-Sandusky year, so that was not a normal circumstance. This new normal leaves me cold. Maybe the season getting underway on a Thursday night has me feeling, 'meh', but I really just have little passion for the game itself. I never imagined I could feel this way.

Should I seek an intervention?

I think you should just enjoy it. Don't get caught up in the constant complaining posted on this site, and just enjoy the season.

 

[NoBareFeet]

Same. I will probably watch out of habit, but the product blows anymore.

 

[ApexLion]

I boycotted the game the first post-Sandusky year, so that was not a normal circumstance. This new normal leaves me cold. Maybe the season getting underway on a Thursday night has me feeling, 'meh', but I really just have little passion for the game itself. I never imagined I could feel this way.

Should I seek an intervention?

Hopeful a revamped playoff will at least make the semi-pro league somewhat interesting. Theoretically if you have more schools and more conferences involved at the end, kids won't just flock to the same factories to collect NIL on their way to the NFL. In other words, we will see some competition in cfb.

Once again, the old man was way ahead of us. He said from 1970 on, give the kids the financial support they need, not more and not less and then ask them in return with firm resolve to get a degree and have a plan for the rest of their lives. He also was in favor of allowing kids to come back as men to finish their degrees at no cost.

Instead what we have is basically shysters paying mostly African-America kids to come to SEC schools for the entertainment and financial benefit of mostly white business people. The kids have no committment other than financial. To top it off, the NCAA and the schools are abetting this situation. The result is a ridiculous system that does not appeal to those who believe in college athletics, school spirit, or the student-athlete model. If I want to watch full-time football players, I tune in on Sundays, not Saturdays.

 

[hapval8286]

For me, and it's my own fault, it's information overload. Pre-2000's and before the internet, there was more excitement and anticipation about the unknowns with the players, team and college football in general. I would hear occasional information on the local news, ESPN or the pre-season magazines, mostly about veteran players. I used to enjoy discovering on game day who that new player was on special teams, like Terry Killens, who was making those huge tackles on kickoffs. The upcoming season used to be like Christmas for my adult self. Now, all of the mystery about the players and overal team has been removed because I am on 3-4 PSU websites every day. I keep telling myself, I am going to stop but it's a form of information addiction, I guess.

 

[19333lion]

For me, and it's my own fault, it's information overload. Pre-2000's and before the internet, there was more excitement and anticipation about the unknowns with the players, team and college football in general. I would hear occasional information on the local news, ESPN or the pre-season magazines, mostly about veteran players. I used to enjoy discovering on game day who that new player was on special teams, like Terry Killens, who was making those huge tackles on kickoffs. The upcoming season used to be like Christmas for my adult self. Now, all of the mystery about the players and overal team has been removed because I am on 3-4 PSU websites every day. I keep telling myself, I am going to stop but it's a form of information addiction, I guess.

I think you are on to something, given that I, too, am on the same sites every day, although mostly for recruiting info. That is also a source of frustration, given the current meaning of "commitment".

 

[Zone-Blitz]

Having the same 4-5 teams with a infinite lock on the college football playoff is what dims the enthusiasm most for me. Maybe NIL will help break that up

 

[Aquapong]

I feel the same. I’m looking forward to baseball playoffs and hockey starting. I forgot Penn State was even playing last night. My week used to revolve around the PSU game.

 

[Alphalion75]

Having the same 4-5 teams with a infinite lock on the college football playoff is what dims the enthusiasm most for me. Maybe NIL will help break that up.

I say let's have all those rich Ivy League alums start getting into football and buy the best teams in the country to compete against the Georgias and Bamas. Wouldn't you just love it.

 

[PSU63OSU14]

I boycotted the game the first post-Sandusky year, so that was not a normal circumstance. This new normal leaves me cold. Maybe the season getting underway on a Thursday night has me feeling, 'meh', but I really just have little passion for the game itself. I never imagined I could feel this way.

Should I seek an intervention?

To each his own. I love it. And I watch the NFL, too, even though they pay the players a lot of money over there. I never watched college football because I got to see people who weren't getting paid. I never considered many of them to be "scholars" anyway. The portal doesn't bother me -- only coaching staffs who wait 5 years before starting to use it, while other schools grab key players and beat us. If conference re-alignment bothers you, sell your tickets when USC is in town. Problem solved. Coaches getting paid well -- again, good for them. My ONLY gripe about college football is that I don't like waiting 8 months for the next season.

 

[ApexLion]

To each his own. I love it. And I watch the NFL, too, even though they pay the players a lot of money over there. I never watched college football because I got to see people who weren't getting paid. I never considered many of them to be "scholars" anyway. The portal doesn't bother me -- only coaching staffs who wait 5 years before starting to use it, while other schools grab key players and beat us. If conference re-alignment bothers you, sell your tickets when USC is in town. Problem solved. Coaches getting paid well -- again, good for them. My ONLY gripe about college football is that I don't like waiting 8 months for the next season.

Please have a low cost beer on me.

 

[wbcbus]

Always amuses me when sports is the only area of the economy where some people insist those involved shouldn't be paid based on the money they generate.

 

[leinbacker]

College football is becoming the reason why I don’t watch the NFL.

 

[leinbacker]

Please have a low cost beer on me.