Why College Football Matters to Me

I've had this blog for about a year now, but I don't think that I formally introduced myself and explained the love I have for college football. I wanted to take some time this week and tell a story about the importance of college football in my life.

I went to the University of Missouri for my bachelor's degree and went on to study for a master's degree at Illinois State University. We aren't talking about college football powerhouses here. While in graduate school, I met someone and things got pretty serious – to the point where we were living together.

I received my master's degree in higher education and I was anxious to start my career. But employment opportunities in my field simply were not happening locally. An opportunity presented itself in southeast Michigan in a town called Ypsilanti (right next to Ann Arbor) at Eastern Michigan University. I jumped at the opportunity, packed up a U-Haul and moved away.

It was a rough time for us. Things were not going well. There were lots of long, late night phone calls and tears being shed. A lot of heartache. But a salve would soon appear unexpectedly that at least temporarily healed some of the wounds.

It was college football. My girlfriend and I would spend time talking on the phone and watching the games. It was a way for us to stay connected on those weekends we couldn't be together during that fall. Plug in the cell phone, turn on the tube and spend the day watching the games.

At a rough time in our relationship, it was college football that saw us through.

So this time of year reminds me of that dark place, and as each passing day brings us closer to kickoff, I can't help but feel excited for the sport that brought be back closer to my girlfriend (and now wife).

It ties into one of the greater things I think about sports. Do we care about what happens on the field too much? Of course. But there are times that the outcome on the field is not nearly as important as the ability to simply share the experience with someone you love.

So that's where my love of college football comes from, in part. It is a reminder of the love of my wife.

(A version of this piece appears on Southern Pigskin.)