The clock has officially hit zero on the 2010-2011 football season. As Cheesehead nation celebrates, and the Lombardi Trophy returns home, we are left to wonder what is next.
Fans may not like to fully realize this, but the NFL is a business first. A multi-billion dollar business that has a lot of employees, a union, and two sides that do not agree on money right now. As the collective bargaining agreement gets set to expire in the beginning of March, it is looking very bleak that anything will be agreed upon by then. Crazier things have happened, but crazier things usually do not involve this much money.
With all of this turmoil surrounding the NFL, one has got to think NCAA president Mark Emmert is sitting in his Indianapolis office licking his chops. Nobody likes basking in others stuggles, but Emmert might do just that when it comes to the NFL's upcoming labor dispute. A report was just released showing that NCAA football attendance reached new heights all across the board this past season. A record 49,670,895 fans attended football games at all of the 639 NCAA colleges.
Let's get one thing straight. America loves their football. Numbers don't lie. Super Bowl XLV was the most watched show in television history. Topping out at a whopping 111 million viewers. Even the Pro Bowl, that no one seems to care about anymore, received good TV ratings.
There are some people who prefer college ball over pro ball, and vise-versa. Then,there are those who enjoy watching and attending at both levels. The thing all of these groups share though, is their passion for football. If the NFL players union decides a strike is what is best for their long term futures, and there is no 2011 season, the fans will not just stop watching the sport. This is why President Emmert has to be somewhat excited, even if it is at somebody else's expense.
They will just turn to Saturdays to watch football. They will turn to the local university nearby to attend games. There might not be Monday Night Football, but you can bet on Wednesday and Thursday night games being televised every week.
NCAA football attendance numbers reached an all time high for the 4th time in the last 5 years. With an NFL lockout looming, and the possibility of a canceled season, those numbers might just keep climbing.
A work stoppage for one business just may become a touchdown for another.
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