Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Patrick Andres

Three Lessons College Sports Can Learn from the World Cup

The World Cup has the effect of making all other sports look puny, but particularly college sports—an American phenomenon with very little parallel worldwide (maybe the Canadian Hockey League, maybe Koshien). What is Miami-Indiana, or Michigan-Ohio State or Auburn-Alabama, against the majesty of Japan-Brazil or Morocco-Netherlands?

To watch the 2026 World Cup as an American college sports fan is to undergo the kind of ego death astronauts suffer while orbiting the Earth. Suddenly, our quibbles seem petty, our vision desperately limited. This can be turned on its head as well—our endemic corruptions are next to nothing in FIFA’s shadow.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.