"IT CAN BREAK your brain talking about college football. Frame it just right, and it appears that the sport has never been as fantastic as it is right now. The TV ratings are excellent, and the games are as fun as you could hope -- even the bowls, which we've been proclaiming as dead for years. Plus, Indiana's national title is proof that, while the sport's blue bloods can still dominate, new brands can compete for the ultimate prize."
"Still, warning signs are warning signs. In my 2025 book, "Forward Progress: The Definitive Guide to the Future of College Football," I spent a chapter laying out how sports fall from grace. There are lots of cautionary tales -- from NASCAR, boxing, baseball, college basketball -- and the overriding message is generally that (a) you don't know you're in trouble until it's too late"
College football currently combines excellent TV ratings, highly entertaining games, and a vibrant postseason, with bowl games performing well and programs like Indiana winning national titles. Simultaneously, a majority of surveyed fans expressed dissatisfaction, with 56% responding that the sport is "a mess" and only 21% saying the games are great. Other major leagues also face constant criticism while maintaining popularity. Historical examples from NASCAR, boxing, baseball, and college basketball show that popular sports can fall from favor. The central lesson is that systemic problems and warning signs can exist long before decline becomes obvious.
Read at ESPN.com
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