Is College Football Better Than the NFL?
How is it possible that professional football is less competitive than college? It’s not.
Dedicated enthusiasts of American football frequently engage in discussions regarding the supremacy of their respective teams, the standout talents at various positions, and the frontrunners for championships. However, a pivotal debate within the sports community revolves around the entertainment value of college football versus the National Football League (NFL).
While football remains the nation’s favorite sport, the dispute over which level of the game is more captivating remains fiercely contested. My aim here is to critically examine a commonly presented argument: college football is superior to the NFL because its players exhibit greater effort and they have more to lose by not doing so.
According to Statista, over two-thirds of Americans are a fan or occasional fan of the NFL, while just over 50% are fans or occasional fans of College Football. In other polls, a slight majority of Americans favor collegiate football over the NFL, an opinion that is entirely understandable given the electrifying nature of college football.
With numerous teams to choose from, the opportunity to support one’s alma mater — or their children’s school — and a constant influx of new players to rally behind each season, the appeal of college football is undeniable. Nevertheless, the argument suggesting that college football players exert more effort due to their aspirations of making it to the league is flawed for several reasons.
When individuals claim that college football is more thrilling than the NFL, what they ostensibly mean is that they prefer matchups between top-tier college teams, which they find more exhilarating than an average NFL game. But one can easily counter this by pointing out that the Super Bowl, or even games between top-tier NFL teams, clearly surpasses the excitement of the average college football game and many high-profile college football contests.
In the NFL, the average point differential in 2022 was 3.56, with the Philadelphia Eagles holding the highest margin of victory at just under 10 points. In contrast, college football had an average point differential exceeding 20 points.
The University of Georgia, the nation’s top team last season, secured victories by an average margin of more than 26 points per game. On the other side of the spectrum, the University of Colorado, which had the worst point differential last season, suffered defeats by an average of nearly 30 points. How is this more captivating than closely contested games between evenly-matched teams in the NFL?
One might argue that the initial games of the college football season, in which power-five schools face smaller opponents, should be considered in the point differential: only reinforcing my argument.
What is exciting about a game where Oklahoma annihilates Arkansas State 73–0? What is enjoyable about Oregon overwhelming Portland State 81–7? To me, these lopsided contests seem dull. I prefer fair and stimulating competition, not dominant powerhouse schools mercilessly defeating opponents with vastly inferior talent and recruiting resources.
The notion that college players have more at stake is also very perplexing. Consider this analogy: you purchase a lottery ticket and discover that your numbers did not win. Have you lost millions or are you merely a few dollars poorer than before?
And if someone did win the lottery, but then lost all the money, who would you say lost more between you and them? College football players do not have more to lose because they never possessed it to begin with.
The individuals who genuinely stand to lose more are those who have already been drafted, signed contracts, and are receiving compensation: those in the NFL. These professionals face the possibility of being cut from the roster or experiencing a career-ending injury, jeopardizing their income.
Those in the NFL endure more demanding workouts, greater stress, and are held to higher standards than college players. Yet somehow, college players are purportedly the ones with more to lose if they fail to perform well.
Additionally, college players are less likely to be benched or dismissed from their teams simply for underperforming because there are often few alternatives who can perform better in those particular positions on that team.
In the NFL, however, a few subpar performances can lead to less playing time and even replacement, as every player on the roster is a seasoned professional in their position, not a walk-on or a red-shirt freshman with little chance of playing time anyway. Sometimes, top draft picks in the NFL do not even earn the starting job by the time the season starts.
Even if the argument of “more to lose” shifts to the potential for college players to earn more money, it remains inadequate. NFL players have financial incentives and performance-based bonuses embedded in their contracts.
For instance, Cardinals kicker Matt Prater needed to maintain an average success rate of 83% or better on a minimum of 20 attempts to earn a $250,000 bonus. Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk earned a $500,000 bonus for achieving 70 catches, an additional $250,000 for 80 catches, and yet another $250,000 for 90 catches; meaning each catch was worth thousands of dollars!
College players do not receive extra compensation for their on-field performance. Missing a field goal or dropping a few catches in a game does not cost them all that much, especially compared to professionals.
Regardless of their performance, college players are likely to play roughly the same number of snaps as the previous week. NFL players, on the other hand, clearly have more to lose and are driven to give their best performance to maximize their earnings. These financial incentives for NFL players also include guaranteed bonuses for playoff appearances and championship victories, ensuring that players are motivated not only for personal gain but also for the team’s general success.
In 2021, the NCAA implemented a “name, image, and likeness (NIL) policy” allowing all college athletes to receive compensation. As a result, top college football players are now earning millions of dollars.
Quarterback Shaduer Sanders of Colorado rakes in over $4 million, while Texas quarterback Arch Manning earns nearly $3 million. These players are projected to be top draft picks in the NFL when they decide to make the transition.
The NFL’s rookie player minimum salary in 2021 was $750,000. These elite college players are poised to earn substantially more than the minimum NFL salary, but the notion that college players are financially deprived and must make it to the league to secure compensation is simply not true in contemporary times.
Many of the players with the best prospects of reaching the NFL will merely increase their earnings, rather than experiencing a dramatic shift from poverty to prosperity, as had been the narrative in the past.
Of course, I’ll concede that college football players can indeed miss out on significant financial opportunities if they don’t perform in ways that capture the interest of NFL scouts and coaches. However, this trend is gradually diminishing with each passing year, thanks to the growing reach and influence of social media platforms. Coaches are under increasing pressure to identify standout players who may have been overlooked by other teams.
To illustrate, consider the case of a former ECU football player who completed the season but went undrafted with no offers on the table. Nevertheless, after sharing his highlight reel on X, which garnered nearly 5 million views and counting, he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers and given a chance to secure a spot on the regular season depth chart.
The primary takeaway here is that despite the impressive statistics this player presented during the season, he didn’t capture the attention of the NFL until he posted the video. It wasn’t a matter of lacking talent; rather, it was about not showcasing his talent effectively.
I find it puzzling that people can relish college football, but when we gather the most exceptional players in college to compete against each other professionally, they claim that the level of competition has diminished.
This sentiment could stem from the idea that NFL superstars significantly outclass their peers, which might create the illusion of weaker competition. However, it’s essential to clarify that this phenomena isn’t because other players aren’t giving their best effort; it’s primarily because these superstars have reached an exceptional level of skill that sets them apart.
Moreover, these outstanding players are evenly distributed among all NFL teams, preventing any single organization from monopolizing talent. In fact, over half of the league’s teams feature at least one player who was recognized on either the first or second All-Pro lists for 2022.
In contrast, in college football, 5-star athletes typically gravitate towards a select few schools. For example, in 2023, the SEC secured commitments from 21 five-star athletes (the Big 12 had 7, the PAC-12 had 5, the ACC had 4, and the Big Ten had just 1).
Even within the SEC, some schools enjoy distinct advantages in attracting five-star recruits. Georgia and Alabama, for instance, accounted for 14 of the 21 five-star recruits in the conference. Therefore, when Alabama went up against Middle Tennessee in the first week of the season and secured a 56–7 victory, it came as no shock. Alternatively, the Dallas Cowboys’ 40–0 triumph over the New York Giants in the opening week caught many off guard.
I want to be perfectly clear: college football is an incredibly exciting sport. It presents an unmatched atmosphere, delivering nail-biting games with miraculous endings. However, the NFL shares these attributes; it is where genuine talent, relentless work ethic, and peak performance flourish.
There’s a good reason why fewer than 2% of college football athletes ever make it to the professional league — the competition is considerably more challenging, and there are limited slots available for those with potential.
In the NFL, failing to showcase your talent can jeopardize your livelihood — and your family and friends’ livelihood. A single subpar performance can subject you to relentless scrutiny on sports media talk shows until you rebound with a standout performance in the next game.
In the NFL, you must give your absolute best. The stakes are higher: it’s the place where you have the most to lose — everything is on the line.
