There were five people around the brunch table, eager to talk sports. Being this time of year, the main subject was U.S. college football. Four participants were somewhat expert and knowledgeable…plus me. However, if you’re talking distant replays, this was an ideal demographic.
The first “remember when” topic was rivalries. I do remember when college football featured inter-state rivalries on the season’s final weekend, surprisingly called Rivalry Week. It was one of the few things that attracted me — briefly — to a sport I’ve never studiously followed. According to the brunch bunch, the rivalries are still around but they’ve been moved to different parts of the schedule.
Forget the fans, who set travel agendas around the “big game” against what’s often a rival from the 19th century, long enough ago to have name games. Among them are the Sunshine Showdown (Florida-Florida State), the Clean Old Fashioned Hate game (Georgia-Georgia Tech), the Battle For The Paul Bunyan Trophy (Michigan-Michigan State), and the Civil War (Oregon-Oregon State).
What really mattered to college football, said the experts, was the TV money.
After brunch, a little research revealed many match-ups are still part of Rivalry Week, at or near season’s end, but some have been shifted…like the Apple Cup in Washington and the Battle Of The Brothers in Utah, both in Week 4. Another one, Texas vs Texas A&M, returned this season following a 13-year vacation after A&M became geographically undesirable by changing conferences, from the Big 12 to Southeastern (the campus stayed in College Station, only the football travel changed).
Yes, about the conferences. They are somewhat recognizable to these remnants of bygone days. The Big Ten has grown to the Big Eighteen. The Pac 12 is now the Pac 2, but expansion’s on the horizon. All this has been at least influenced by money.
Speaking of the money…it used to be freshmen couldn’t play for the big team because they had to sit out that season and wear a “red shirt.” College players were financially exploited by schools that made millions and paid the players zero. Now, there are freshmen making as much as $3 million in sponsorship swag.
Players enjoy that, naturally. In fact, if they play their cards right, players can double what was essentially a three-year (plus the freshman season) football career. By transferring from one college to another, they can retain eligibility status. At brunch, it was pointed out if Oregon State quarterback’s quarterback, Ben Gulbranson, returns in the fall, it will be his sixth year.
Of all the changes from yesteryear, one that wasn’t discussed by the brunch bunch was the playoff system. Until 11 years ago, the two teams in the national championship game were selected by out-of-football-shape men from around the country with too much clout. The finalists were based on their records, degree of schedule difficulty and best cheerleaders (just kidding). Every year, there were undefeated teams that never had a sniff.
That still happens, but less so, now that eight teams actually play for the privilege. They’re down to four now (Notre Dame vs Penn State, Ohio State vs Texas) and both are night games this week.
So it won’t interfere with brunch.
