Back on the second Monday in January of this year, a college football national champion was crowned in Atlanta, Georgia. However, there is a vocal crowd of football fanatics that proudly wear the black and gold of the University of Central Florida who think otherwise. The Knights marched their way through the season without a blemish on their record. UCF fans roared with enthusiasm as their team held off Auburn University in 2018 Peach Bowl on New Years’ Day. While the BCS trophy was hoisted by another team from the state of Alabama, Central Florida faithful quickly boasted of beating a team that defeated both of the BCS National Championship finalists.
Football fans certainly feel last season was “out of this world” exciting, but space exploration
students at UCF see their time on the Orlando, Florida campus from another angle. Central Florida is one of 52 networking schools focused on outer-space related research. They have one of the most renowned space exploration programs in the world. One of the primary areas of study grew out of the original campus, Florida Technological University. UCF was founded on a land-grant from the Florida legislature in 1963. Its single-foremost purpose was to train students to become part of the growing US space program. Yes, the original Golden Knights had an imposing opponent in the race for space, the old Soviet Union. UCF continues to offer hundreds of degree programs to prepare graduates for the challenges of the world today. Not to be lost on the uniqueness of the initial academic focus, UCF students participate in one of the most spirited on-campus traditions in the country. Spirit Splash it held during homecoming weekend. Students, cheered on by spectators, race for a plunge into a large reflecting pond. The event earned recognition as the best campus tradition according to the National Association of Campus Activities. While young when compared to the standards set by colleges over a century old, UCF is well on its way to establishing its own legacy. There aren’t any legendary ivy walls, or famous brick halls. However, with bragging rights as the only undefeated team in major college football, Knights fans are wearing the black and gold with pride. Over the last decade, UCF has been ranked at or near the top of the list representing the fastest growing universities in America. The future is bright for this upstart university from the Sunshine State. If you’re a true UCF Knights fan, it might be so bright you need to wear shades.
In basketball, the National Championship game is the dream of every kid that plays basketball in college. NC State’s basketball team wasn’t well known in 1983. Jim Valvano was the coach and he knew he had a great group of kids. When they won the ACC tournament against the great Ralph Sampson and Virginia, people thought that the win was just luck and they probably wouldn’t make last when they got into the tournament. Throughout the tournament, NC State kept surviving and advancing. In Johnathan Hock’s documentary “Survive and Advance”, Hock uses stock footage of the games that were played during the tournament, different points of view from the players, and the sequence of the documentary to prove that NC State’s basketball team were the underdogs during the whole tournament; however they were able to win despite their adversity
With the annual debate revived by fans and sportswriters, the involvement of the federal government, and the financial benefit that bowl games offer schools, the issue of wheatear to replace the Bowl Championship Series with a playoff system continues to be one of the most discussed aspects of college football. Most people agree the Bowl Championship Series should be replaced by a playoffs, however there are a few who believe otherwise. The Bowl Championship Series works, and college football has never been more successful, thrilling, popular, or more enjoyable than ever. The Bowl Championship Series is fairer, safer and more effective than a playoffs.
In 1986, it was hinted that people were giving money to Southern Methodist University to bolster the football program. After this was confirmed, the NCAA began taking action and started its own investigation into the program. Upon completing their investigation, they found that all prior allegations were true and began sanctioning the program. On February 25, 1987, the SMU football program, already the most penalized program in history, received the harshest sanctions ever hande...
There have been many historical moments with the University of Dayton Flyers Men’s Basketball team, but Mark Weaver recalls of the one that meant most to him. It took place on March 24, 1967, in Louisville’s Freedom Hall for the Final Four of the NCAA (National College Athletic Association) tournament against the highly favored North Carolina Tar Heels (Collett 228). This was the third straight NCAA tournament appearance for the Flyers, but their first ever Final Four (Collett 228). It turned out that the Flyers smashed North Carolina, seventy-six to sixty-two. Don May hit a record thirteen straight field goals and scored thirty-four points (Collett 228). Mark Weaver, a lifetime fan said, “I remember that game like it was yesterday, it almost brings tears to my eyes. I have never seen UD party like we did the night of that game. I have been following Dayton basketball since the mid-1960s and I have yet to witness the team getting a greater win than the one over the Tar Heels.”
Some people call Space “The Final Frontier” but at one point all land west of the Mississippi was considered the frontier. Humans are curious people, sometimes too curious for our own good, but when we find something new we always explore and why would it be any different with space. When we explore the out reaches of space will no longer seem so small or insignificant. The idea of one day unlocking all of the Universe’s secrets, solely through our own advancements as a people, is what gives me that sense of
One of the teams that have very few if any complaints about their name are the Florida State Seminoles. In 1947, the student of Florida State chose the name of Seminoles for no other reason other than to honor the courageous,
The game day needs to be changed. If the games were held on Thursday nights instead of Saturday mornings that would improve the turn out of fans. Most people want to watch their favorite football teams such as Alabama and UT play Saturday instead of going to our university football game. Former university football player John Autry says, "There were some games when the university players paid more attention to what was going on in the Florida game." A lot of university students go home on the weekends, so they are not even here on Saturdays. Friday nights are out of the question because that is when everyone wants to watch his or her brother or sister play high school football. If the game started at 7:00 p.
Imagine a business that brings in $60 million each year ,and the people fueling that industry receive none of the revenue(Wieberg). These same people work 40 hours in their sport every week, these “people” are college athletes. The NCAA, the governing body for major college sports, is the industry doing this to college athletes(Edelman). This is an issue of exploitation and control by large institutions over primarily poor people, the NCAA is guiding them in directions to make money for everybody while doing everything possible to keep the players out of the money. College Athletes deserve profit because they bring in large revenue into their program, the NCAA, and they invest tons of time into their sport.
College athletes are manipulated every day. Student athletes are working day in and day out to meet academic standards and to keep their level of play competitive. These athletes need to be rewarded and credited for their achievements. Not only are these athletes not being rewarded but they are also living with no money. Because the athletes are living off of no money they are very vulnerable to taking money from boosters and others that are willing to help them out. The problem with this is that the athletes are not only getting themselves in trouble but their athletic departments as well.
The college athletes of their respective sports today, have the opportunity of showcasing their talents in competition on local and national programming on a regular basis which has lately brought attention this controversy, paying college athletes. The issue was brought on by the athletes over time, then caught onto coaches, sports columnists, and fans. The athletes dedicate themselves to the sport to a caliber comparable to the professional tier. The idea of paying the athletes could be considered as they play major factor in reputation of their schools, as well as funds for their schools. However most colleges do not have profitable sports teams. Thus, paying athletes would prove to be a very difficult endeavor and this could destroy college athletics as we know them today.
Does it make sense for an academic institution to run a multimillion dollar entertainment business, which is what college football and college basketball have become? Does it make sense for these institutions to pay the student-athletes who participate in these football and basketball programs?
Lamarr Monterio, a sophomore wide receiver at Northeastern University, propelled his high school football team, Oliver Ames, into a winning team.
For decades there has been a debate on student athletes and their drive to succeed in the classroom. From the very beginning of organized college level athletics, the goal to want to succeed in athletics has forced students to put academics to the back burner. In spite of the goal to want to succeed over a hundred years of attempts to check limits of intercollegiate athletic programs on colleges' academic standards still seems to struggle to this day. This brings to surface one of the most asked questions in sports, “What effect does college sports have on academics and economics?” Herbert D. Simons, Derek Van Rheenen, and Martin V. Covington, authors of “Academic Motivation and the Student Athlete” researched the topic on whether athletics and academics benefit each other. Bryan Flynn, the author of “College Sports vs. Academics” poses the question “Should institutions of higher learning continue to involve themselves in athletic programs that often turn out to be virtual arms races for recruiting talented players who bring big money and prestige, but put academics to the back burner?” Although both authors agree that sports have an impact on an athlete’s academics, the focus of their argument differs.
Most adolescents have access to media or television broadcasting. Majority of African American male adolescents watch up to four hours of television. Most shows watched are sports related and which is often an inspiration to young black males. As a result, young black males have no variety in choosing a career besides athletics. Growing up in the black community, the lifestyle of African Americans was not diverse. Individuals either played basketball or football starting early and ending last. Since the youth are so ignorant in knowing the different careers and lifestyles besides athletics, opportunities are limited in diversity.
My dream job in the future would be professional football player. I have loved the game of football since I was a little kid because it’s a good sport and you can tackle the player and catch and do anything in the sport as long as you follow the rules. The colleges that I’m looking forward to go to are UNC, Oregon, or Appalachian State.