With the Soccer (association football) FIFA World Cup kicking off on June 11th, it brought up another age-old debate that has been raging quietly in nooks and corners of social media. How does American college football attendance compare with soccer attendance in Europe, South America, Asia, and the rest of the world?
Fans of both sports may have their own justifications. Soccer fans point to the packed stadiums in England, Germany, Brazil, and other countries around the world, where supporters' chants ring continuously for 90 minutes. Many clubs also showcase huge visually spectacular displays known as tifo, which include massive banners, flags, mosaics, and pyrotechnics to urge on the supporting team and intimidate the visiting team and fans.
Meanwhile, the fans of college football would point to this comparison and say that it overlooks what truly makes the college games different. The truth is, both sports have created very different fan experiences, and college football has built a culture that remains one of the most passionate forces in American sports.
Attendance Numbers in College Football VS Soccer
The best college football games have much bigger crowds than an average soccer match, as the stadiums are a lot bigger than European or any other soccer teams. Many games in colleges like Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State, Tennessee, etc., draw in crowds exceeding 90,000 fans. Michigan hosts its games in the "Big House", where it regularly welcomes more than 100,000 fans.
American college football stadiums also rank among the largest sporting venues in the world. Soccer's biggest clubs also draw in massive crowds, but college football's attendance figures showcase that American fans are capable of creating large-scale sporting spectacles.
The Atmospheric Difference Between College Football and Soccer
The American crowd, with its sheer size, is very vocal and passionate about their support. But this is vastly different from attending a soccer game in South America or Europe. The American experience can be summed up as fun, while the European atmosphere is more exciting.
This is because soccer doesn't bring anything peripheral to the game itself. There are no distractions from the actual game, with no cheerleading, side-shows, no national anthem, or military flybys. In the UK, you also can't drink alcohol within view of the pitch or take anything into the stadiums. This tends to make the whole focus shift to the game.
Soccer is also a game where the ball is mostly in play, unlike American football. This also gives the game a generally less fun atmosphere and more tense and edgy fans hoping to see their team find success.
Scoring too is different, and the responses of fans mimic this too. In a college game, a touchdown will be mostly met with loud, uncoordinated cheers, but as the scoring of a goal is a very important part of soccer and it happens less frequently in games than a touchdown, usually the response is utter chaos and passionate expressions of excitement.
Compared to this, spectating in American football is much more relaxed, with more eating, drinking, and enjoying other activities, which are complemented occasionally with major occurrences on the field.
Singing and Chants in College Football VS Soccer
Singing and chanting are something that is shown to be a major difference between American football and soccer. Case in point, the 'You'll Never Walk Alone' at Anfield, or chants from fans of Barcelona or Borussia Dortmund. Although the EPL (English Premier League) and other European leagues have somewhat restricted the activities of "Ultras" in the stadium, many still retain their chaotic nature.
History also plays a part in a collective coming together to sing and chant for their teams, as many of these clubs are well over 120 years old and have 3rd or 4th generation fans. The emotional connection is incredibly etched in each of these fans' subconscious, and there is a deeper sense of togetherness in these collectives. This is one of the reasons why they may take the team's defeats very personally, and sometimes (rarely) the emotions boil over into violence.
College football, however, is different. Rather than chants and singing, they often participate in traditions passed down through generations. They also have an emphasis on regional identity and school pride for those who graduated from these colleges.
Cheerleaders, marching bands, and mascots add to a festive atmosphere at a football game in America. Fans also arrive hours before a game and make a day out of their common love for their state or college.
Both sports fan cultures stand out because they reflect the cultures that produced them. College football remains one of the most successful sporting traditions in the country that even the NFL seems to not be able to match.
Can college football compete with soccer on attendance? In many cases, they absolutely can. But can it replicate the exact atmosphere of a European or South American soccer match? The answer is probably not, and that's fine in its own sense.
The beauty of college football lies in it being unmistakably American, with traditions and experiences that are special to the fans who wouldn't trade it for any other style. This is also the case for soccer fans, who have their own traditions associated with their game and the club and country they support.
