Welcome to “The College Club Sports Report”! I’m Bob DeGemmis, and I’ve spent the past 25 years following the remarkable evolution of college club sports. In this blog we’ll look at where intercollegiate club sports, primarily in the U.S., fit into the “college sports landscape” and how they are beginning to look and feel more and more like their NCAA counterparts.
When you think of “college sports”, what do you think of? Big football stadiums? ESPN? March Madness? If you are
like the majority of people, the answer would probably be yes, and you would not be
wrong to note that these are in fact are “college sports”. However, these images of NCAA Division I
“college athletics” which garner the overwhelming amount of attention and
revenue, is but a small piece of all “college sports”. Within the NCAA itself, numerous other NCAA
DI sports elude the eyes of most American sports fans and NCAA athletics extend
into the NCAA’s Division II and Division III which actually comprise the
majority of NCAA member institutions and participating athletes.
Additionally, the assumption that NCAA
sports are “the only game in town” in college sports is simply not true. Some varsity
college-supported athletics also find themselves members of other governing
associations including the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics(U.S.) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (U.S.). Beyond
American borders, U Sports is the Canadian equivalent of the NCAA or NAIA and
other models also exist abroad.
Now, to the focus of this blog: when you think of college “club” sports, what
images come to mind? Chris Farley chugging beers at a Marquette U rugby field in
the 1980s? Midnight hockey games awash in fights and beer in the 1990s?
Lacrosse games with players stumbling out of cars right at game-time after the
pre-game party the night before in the 1970s? Yes, those college club sports
days did exist, but they are far from the reality in 2025. The intercollegiate
college club sports of today share far more in common with their NCAA
counterparts than their swashbuckling predecessors of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.
Whether it be the support and resources club teams are receiving from
sponsoring institutions, fan attention being paid to them or the competitiveness of the
level of play, club teams are no longer “just club sports”, they ARE college
sports!
Join me as we dive into the evolving world of college club sports—where tradition meets innovation and the future of college athletics is being redefined. Have you personally noticed changes in the way your college treats club sports? Let me know your thoughts! If you have your own questions or observations, please feel free to reach out to me at rlacmetros@gmail.com.
I really like the title! Thank you for the clarification on the athletic models! Bringing back nostalgia from the 70s-90s will help other readers like going back to their young days.
ReplyDeleteI like the table you have provided at the end of the post, it is very easy to follow. I think the images you have painted about what college club sports looked like in the 70s-90s is entertaining and highlights the tone you are setting for your blog. Looking forward to reading more!
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