College football may be the last remaining communal experience we have
Preview:
There is nothing like hosting the happy madness of ESPN’s "College GameDay," as Vanderbilt University did Oct. 25, to make a college president reflect on the meaning of college athletics.
I have loved sports since I was a boy in Germany and watched our national soccer team defeat the Netherlands 2-1 in the 1974 World Cup, but American sports like football and baseball were unknown to me.
Originally published: November 1, 2025
Author: Daniel Diermeier
Position: Chancellor
Institution: Vanderbilt University
Published by: USA Today