To people who do not live in America, their fascination and admiration of college sports seems unusual, considering that there are more professional leagues within the country that eclipse those which exist at the college level. Certainly, in other countries such as England, college sports is more of a pastime than nationally loved sports, and much of the focus from the public in the country will be towards leagues that operate at the highest level, like the Premier League for example. However, there is no doubt that college sports in America is something of a phenomenon, and many may be wondering why this is the case.
When comparing college sports to professional sports, it is easy to see clear differences. Firstly, because those who participate in college sports are not professionals, they do not receive a wage from the college. Of course, professional athletes will be paid for what they do, given the fact that they operate at the highest level and millions of people will likely be relying on them to provide entertainment. Another difference is that the betting scene for college sports is much smaller than what exists for bigger, national sports such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. This will not matter much to people who prefer playing at online casinos though, and when looking for more information, people will find a range of games available to them.
The differences shown between these two levels of sport should make it clear which one is bigger and more entertaining. Despite this though, there is still an outright admiration for college sports in America. One reason for this may be because there is a stronger sense of identity with sports played at the college level. Some critics of American professional sports may say that they have no soul in the sense that leagues like the NBA and NFL are franchises instead of clubs. They are privately owned and typically concerned with profits only, being a business. Whether this is true or not, it is hard to disagree with the fact that a sense of community is stronger in college sports as these programmes are not privately owned. Instead of focusing on profits, college sports are run to help the community and society together, as well as giving up-and-coming players a chance to showcase their skills.
Another reason why college sports are so highly rated can be seen by the structure of professional sports in the US. Unlike other continents, Europe in particular, US pro sports do not have good second divisions and much of the focus will always be within the top-flight division of each respective league. In Europe, many lower divisions within sports give athletes a chance to get noticed and ascend the structure. In America, this role is fulfilled by college sports, so it is easy to see why so much respect is placed on it.
There is no doubt that America is one of the few places in the world where college sports come close to the level of professional sports, but it should now be clear what the reasons for this are.