The Only Thing More Important Than College Football is Jesus Christ

By Megan B.

“Goooooooo Dawgs!”, is a phrase many Georgia residents have heard in their lifetime. Whether an alumnus or not, it is hard to deny that the University of Georgia (UGA) football team has a massive fan base. UGA is just one of many schools with dedicated supporters of their football team. There is schools such as University of Auburn, Alabama State, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, University of North Carolina, Clemson, and Louisiana State University; the list of Division I football schools is extensive with 125 schools. Aside from a few anomalies such as the University of Notre Dame, most with popular football programs reside in the South. 

A church on almost every corner vs a bodega on every corner; “y’all” vs. “you all”; The Big Apple vs The Big Peach; the North and the South differ immensely. The two regions’ commitment to school football is another stark contrast. Growing up in the North (Upstate New York) Saturday’s significance was that it was a day off, the South treats it like another day of worship. Why is that?

Simply put, the South has some of the best school football teams in the country. Teams don’t just get good overnight. They must be nurtured to grow and develop into the powerhouses they are today. So how did they get so good? For starters, the weather allows for teams to practice essentially year-round. A running joke in Upstate NY is that the year contains two seasons: winter and summer. Winter lasts for 10 months, followed by 2 months of Summer. In contrast, despite being cold and miserable for several months, winters in Georgia end quickly in comparison. This affects high school football programs, which then trickles into school football programs. Southern football players can practice more than their northern counterparts, enabling them to perform better.

So, the teams are clearly elite, which brings the fans, but what keeps them around? Why is it that you are guaranteed to see a car with some form of decoration supporting a southern school’s football team? The answer lies in tradition. Compared to northern states, southern states are predominantly more conservative in their views. Conservatives typically tend to put an emphasis on tradition. In addition to chants that ignite the energy in the stadium, UGA fans hold the playing of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” near and dear to their heart. A single trumpeter in the upper deck of Sanford Stadium belts out the first few notes to this hymn. As a hush falls over the crowd and all attention falls on the single musician you can feel the loyalty in the air. Even as a novel football spectator, the energy felt amongst the die-hard fans in the stadium at that moment is hard to deny.

Traditions in sports do not only exist in the south. Notre Dame football has traditions too, such as the singing of their alma mater after every game, regardless of victory or loss. However, southern schools believe in their traditions so deeply, their fandom bleeds into their everyday life. the numerous Auburn license plates, Clemson bumper stickers, or even gas stations selling UGA paraphernalia. When southerners believe in something, they believe in it with such conviction and dedication that it becomes part of who they are. Believing in UGA football is so common in Georgia that it is almost blasphemes to not believe. If you are not being asked if you love Jesus, you are being asked what college football team you follow. Down here, the only thing more important than school football is Jesus Christ.