Tenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

“Woo Pig Sooie!? Roll Tide!? Go Cocks!? War Eagle!? College football in the south turns otherwise sane people into raving lunatics. Each fall millions of people schedule their lives around SEC football, spend hundreds of dollars for their team’s newest gear, travel for days to see their team play, with victory or defeat shaping their mood for days to come. Some extreme fans go so far as to name their children after their favorite team or coach. In short, SEC football has become a religion. My research “the Religion of SEC Football” explores this development, examining the experience of fans from the perspective of religion. Witness the pilgrimage to their stadium cathedrals, where fans form a congregation and for hours prior to the game will partake in a variety of rituals, sacraments, and affirmations of their faith in their team. One can see their religious icons all around and hear their hymns being played. Head coaches are their preachers, the post-game press conferences the pulpit. Aware of their own baptism into their football faith, they evangelize about the greatness of their team hoping to convert others all the while of being mindful of the sin of congregating too closely with other football faiths.