This page is a WikiProject essay on notability. It contains the advice and/or opinions of one or more WikiProjects on how they interpret notability within their area of expertise. It is not a policy or guideline, and editors are free to, but not obliged to follow it during XfD's. WikiProjects are encouraged to write essays on notability that meet or exceed the expectations of notability or the applicable sub-guideline (BIO, ORG, NUMBER, ACADEMICS, and rest of the sub guidelines). Please update the page as needed, or discuss it on the talk page.

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This page in a nutshell: The existance of the NFL does not negate the notability of college football.

For more details on this topic, see Wikipedia:Notability.

For more details on this topic, see Wikipedia:Athlete.

Believe it or not, this argument is made from time to time. An editor will claim that because the National Football League (NFL) exists, the first point in WP:ATHLETE then negates the second point in the same section, that "(c)ompetitors who have competed at the highest level in amateur sports" would also be notable.

However, a cursory review will reveal that the section does not have a disclaimer of any kind. Also, even the most brief review of the guideline would reveal the "disqualification" argument to be flawed and not in line with the text of the rest of the guideline.

The existence of the NFL does not negate the notability of college football.

[edit] Historical perspective

[edit] First professional player

College football is much older than professional football and is in many ways the dominante driving force of the sport. The first college football game took place on November 6, 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton. The first "professional athlete" on record was 23 years later, when William "Pudge" Heffelfinger was paid $500 by the Allegheny Athletic Association for one game in 1892.^[1]

[edit] First successful professional league

The world saw 51 years of active college football play before the American Professional Football Association (the first successful professional league) would be formed with the first fully professional game played October 3, 1920. Two years, later, the APFA changed its name to the National Football League.

[edit] Early years of the NFL

The league had been very fluid with membership--between 1920 and 1945, 53 teams had gone defunct.^[2] Even as professional football began to grow into its own, the significance of the sport remained relatively low. One observer put it this way: "Back then (1958), pro football was not to be confused with a real job"^[3]

[edit] Summary

As of the 2008 season, college football has been around for 139 years while the NFL has existed a mere 88 years. It was not until the modern era in the 1970's and 1980's that solidified its dominance as America's top spectator sport.

[edit] Financial perspective

• A top-level college football program makes major revenue: Texas ($60.9 million), Michigan ($50.4 million), Florida ($48.2 million), etc.
• The 44 schools from BCS conferences that played in a bowl game in 2007 had combined revenue of $1.3 billion.
• The Euroleague (professional European basketball) has a revenue of less than one hundred million.
• Looking at German soccer, the top-league Bundesliga had 2006/07 revenues of €1.3 billion ($1.7b).
• Looking at UK soccer: While top-level Premier League is obviously a major league with exceptionally high revenue (€2.2 billion ($2.8b)), The Championship clubs' revenues in 2005/6 were £318m ($470m) at an average of £13m ($20m) per club (League One for the same year totaled £102m, League Two £61m).
• Stepping slightly away from football, the NCAA has a $6.2 billion, 11-year media contract.

Nielson TV ratings are another interesting comparison:

• 14.4 - 2008 NCAA Football Championship game^[4]
• 17.4 - 2007 NCAA Football Championship game
• 8.4 - 2008 MLB World Series avg rating ^[5]
• 10.4 - 2008 NBA Finals Game One ^[6]

[edit] References