{"id":2143065,"date":"2024-01-08T04:00:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T09:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/say-goodbye-to-the-local-rivalries-that-made-college-football-great\/"},"modified":"2024-01-08T04:10:02","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T09:10:02","slug":"say-goodbye-to-the-local-rivalries-that-made-college-football-great","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/say-goodbye-to-the-local-rivalries-that-made-college-football-great\/","title":{"rendered":"Farewell to the local rivalries that defined college football&#8217;s greatness"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsay-goodbye-to-the-local-rivalries-that-made-college-football-great%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2143065&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The College Football Playoff \u200cNational Championship: More Than Just a Game<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The press and marketing wizards will frequently try to hype a sporting \u200bevent as \u201cmore than a game.\u201d The College Football \u2064Playoff National Championship\u200b on Monday night in Houston represents one of those \u200doccasions, \u200dfor all the transition points the contest represents for the sport.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>A decade or more ago, the \u200dpostseason matchup \u2063between the Michigan Wolverines and the\u2064 Washington\u200d Huskies would have occurred \u200bin the Rose Bowl \u2014 the \u201cgrandaddy of them all\u201d when it comes to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/despite-insistence-by-democrat-politicians-and-medical-elites-empirical-evidence-does-not-conclusively-show-that-masks-reduce-the-spread-of-covid\/\" title=\"Despite Insistence by Democrat Politicians and Medical Elites, Empirical Evidence DOES NOT Conclusively Show that Masks Reduce the Spread of COVID\">college football<\/a>.\u2064 But starting next year, a Michigan-Washington contest likely will not occur in the postseason, but during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/opinion-college-footballs-playoff-expansion-is-all-about-greed\/\" title=\"OPINION: College Football\u2019s Playoff Expansion Is All About Greed\">college football\u2019<\/a>s regular season.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-62028348\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-50695fa342b2b17ec6043cea5e9edca9 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-50695fa342b2b17ec6043cea5e9edca9\"><\/div>\n<p>The realignment that <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/08\/22\/will-the-ncaa-conference-switcheroo-blow-up-college-football\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">begins \u200dnext \u2063fall<\/a> will transform college football into a nationally-based phenomenon. \u2063In that sense, Monday night\u2019s \u200cchampionship represents the\u200b end of regionalism \u2062for a sport heretofore \u2062defined by the intensity of local rivalries.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">PAC-12 Implosion<\/h2>\n<p>Monday night\u2019s championship game \u2062provides the last contest during which Washington will compete \u2063as a member of the Pacific Athletic Conference.\u2064 Over the past year-plus, the\u2063 conference has engaged in a slow-motion train \u200cwreck\u2062 that has seen its members depart for other\u200b pastures. Four schools \u2014\u200b USC, UCLA, \u200bWashington, \u200band Oregon \u2014 will join the Big Ten. Four other schools\u2064 \u2014 Colorado, \u200dArizona, Arizona State, and Utah \u2014 will join (in Colorado\u2019s case, rejoin) the Big 12. \u200bTwo schools \u2014 Stanford and Cal \u2014 will join \u200cthe ACC. And \u200btwo schools \u2014 Oregon State and Washington State \u2014 could ultimately join\u200b the \u200cWest Coast \u2063Conference.<\/p>\n<p>The PAC-12\u2019s implosion has effectively\u200d destroyed \u2063the lone major conference with a West Coast affiliation. In so doing, this\u200d realignment has nullified regionalism\u2062 in\u2063 college athletics.<\/p>\n<p>Consider that Stanford and the University\u2062 of California-Berkeley, both located mere\u200d miles from the Pacific Ocean, will now\u2062 compete in\u200b the Atlantic\u200c Coast Conference. Consider too that \u200bthe Big Ten, heretofore a Midwestern-based conference, will encompass \u2063schools located in disparate places like Piscataway, New Jersey (Rutgers); Eugene, Oregon; and \u200cLos Angeles.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0f30ef89033ce805c6df28a485b1001c fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0f30ef89033ce805c6df28a485b1001c\"><\/div>\n<p>What things \u2064do \u200dstudents or faculty at\u2062 the\u200b University of Washington hold in common with their \u200csoon-to-be conference brethren at the University of Maryland-College Park that can form the basis\u2064 of an intense sporting rivalry? \u2063Precious little \u2014 other than\u2063 the desire for\u200c TV cash that drove university presidents into this series of shotgun \u2063marriages.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Money, Money, Money<\/h2>\n<p>But in one\u200d sense, \u2064the dash for cash that motivated this \u200clatest realignment, and could prompt universities to play \u201cMusical Conferences\u201d again in\u200d the \u2063future, \u200bonly echoes actions taken by the players themselves. The combination of name, image,\u200b and likeness (NIL) revenue that \u200ccollege players \u2063can generate from sponsorship\u200c deals, coupled with the transfer portal that now allows them to \u2064switch schools \u2062more easily, has turned \u201cstudent-athletes\u201d into free agents selling themselves to the highest bidder.<\/p>\n<p>When Washington takes the field Monday night, it will be led by Michael Penix \u200cJr., its star quarterback who finished second in balloting this year\u2062 for the famous\u2064 Heisman Trophy as the best player in college football. But \u2063Penix did not \u200bstart his career in Seattle playing for Washington. From 2018 through 2021, Penix competed at the University \u200dof\u200b Indiana.<\/p>\n<p>After the 2021 season, Penix <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-football\/story\/_\/id\/32867336\/michael-penix-jr-transferring-washington-four-seasons-indiana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">decided to transfer<\/a> \u200c to Washington, to reunite with \u2064his former \u200bIndiana\u200d offensive coordinator, Kalen DeBoer, who had become Washington\u2019s head coach.\u2062 Because NCAA authorities had ruled that the Covid-plagued 2020 season didn\u2019t \u201ccount\u201d\u2064 for purposes of players\u2019 eligibility,\u2063 Penix had the 2022 and 2023 years to improve his game, transforming Washington into a\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/over-125-dead-during-fan-stampede-after-indonesian-soccer-match\/\" title=\"Over 125 Dead During Fan Stampede After Indonesian Soccer Match\">national powerhouse<\/a> in the process.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-88ce795ba68cbb3a1baed3f05411a60b fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-88ce795ba68cbb3a1baed3f05411a60b\"><\/div>\n<p>Penix and other star\u200c players of recent years (such as \u2063Joe Burrow, who initially played for Ohio State before switching to LSU) have shown how transferring \u2014 to receive more playing time, more NIL money, a better environment, or all of the above \u2014 can transform a\u200c player\u2019s career. Little wonder that university presidents have similarly found themselves dreaming of how greener conference pastures can\u200c pad their own bottom lines.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Fans\u200d Will Miss<\/h2>\n<p>The end result will be a game more \u200btransient and ephemeral to ordinary fans, one where rivalries and players come and go \u200cseemingly in an instant. The fact that the PAC-12 saw some \u200bof its best competition in years \u2014 with Washington, Oregon,\u200c Colorado, and USC dominating headlines at various \u200cpoints during\u2064 the season \u2014 in its final season \u200bmakes\u200c its breakup all the more tragic. It also emphasizes how the changes in college football may not yield a better on-the-field product\u200c \u2014 to the contrary, in fact.<\/p>\n<p>In that sense, traditionalists should enjoy Monday night\u2019s championship as the halcyon days of a rapidly ending era. In\u2063 eight months\u2019 time,\u200c another season and a \u2062strange new world will begin.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-41ece559306a0017b6b19da93a994970 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-41ece559306a0017b6b19da93a994970\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u2062 What values and \u2064traditions make\u2062 college football unique and set\u2062 it apart from professional football<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Rget=&#8221;_blank&#8221; rel=&#8221;noreferrer \u200bnoopener&#8221;>announced\u200d his transfer<\/a> to Washington, citing \u2063the \u200copportunity to play in a more competitive conference \u200cand \u200cenhance \u2064his\u2063 NFL prospects. This\u2062 move, and countless others like it,\u2063 highlight \u2064the\u2062 transient nature of college\u2064 football and the pursuit \u200dof personal gain.<\/p>\n<p>While the realignment and player \u2062transfers \u200bmay be driven by money and\u2064 self-interest, they also reflect \u2063the evolving landscape of college football as a business. The College Football Playoff National Championship has become a showcase for the sport&#8217;s commercialization and the increasing influence of corporate entities.<\/p>\n<p>Corporate\u2062 sponsorships, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/floyd-mayweather-wants-to-purchase-nba-team\/\" title=\"Floyd Mayweather Wants to Purchase NBA Team\">media rights deals<\/a>, and \u2062ticket sales have transformed the\u2062 championship game\u200d into a\u2062 multi-million dollar event. The halftime show,\u200d the commercials, and the pre-game\u2063 festivities are all designed to capture the attention\u2063 of viewers and generate revenue. \u200bThe focus has\u200d shifted from the game itself to the surrounding \u2063spectacle.<\/p>\n<p>But amidst all the glitz and glamour, there is \u2064still a game to be played. The players, the coaches, and the fans are the ones who truly make the championship memorable. It is their passion, dedication, and love for the \u2063sport that\u2063 drives them to compete at the\u2062 highest\u200b level.<\/p>\n<p>For the \u2064Michigan Wolverines and \u2063the Washington \u2064Huskies, this championship game represents more than just an opportunity to win\u2064 a trophy. It is \u200ba chance to make history, to \u200cleave a lasting legacy, and to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jeff-bezos-heading-to-space-after-resigning-as-amazon-ceo\/\" title=\"Jeff Bezos Heading To Space After Resigning As Amazon CEO\">inspire future generations<\/a> of\u200b players and fans.<\/p>\n<p>As the face of college football\u200b continues to change, it is important to remember the values that make the sport special. The camaraderie,\u2063 the tradition, and the sense of community \u200bare what set college football apart from its professional counterpart.<\/p>\n<p>So, as we \u200dwatch the College Football Playoff National Championship, let us not forget \u2064that it is more than just a game. It is a celebration of the sport, a \u2063culmination of the season, and a testament to the\u2064 power of \u200ccompetition.<\/p>\n<p>As the press and marketing wizards hype up the championship as\u200c &#8220;more than\u2063 a game,&#8221; let us \u2062remember the true essence of college football \u2064and the role\u200b it plays\u2063 in \u2064shaping the lives of\u2063 student-athletes, universities, and communities alike.<\/p>\n<p>So, sit\u2063 back, relax, and enjoy the game. But also take a moment to appreciate the journey, \u200dthe sacrifices, and the\u2062 passion that brought these\u200c teams to this momentous occasion. Because in the end, it \u200bis \u2062the spirit of the game that truly matters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The press and marketers often exaggerate sporting events as &#8220;more than a game.&#8221; The College Football Playoff National Championship in Houston is one such occasion, symbolizing significant changes in the sport. A decade ago, the postseason matchup between teams would have been unimaginable, making this event a milestone<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":521,"featured_media":2143066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2143065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/521"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2143065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143065\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2143066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2143065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2143065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2143065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}