Most popular sport

Maybe it's just because I'm in California where NASCAR is all but irrelevant, but I still consider it a niche sport. In fact, I don't even consider it a sport. It's a motorsport. It's a totally different audience. Shows like Around the Horn and PTI don't even talk about NASCAR because it's part of a totally seperate sphere.

 

Are the country-wide competitions?
Most definitely, probably the basketball and football competitions are the highest profile and attract massive interest.

Can the players live from the money they earn through college sport?
As far as I'm aware they can't earn any money (officially, though they do get scholarships and other things.)

Do they have enough time to study and finish college?
Everyone has to be enrolled in class at the college they play for. That's why a great many pro players will have college degrees (usually in things such as 'Communications')

What are they doing after finishing college? Going to the NBA?
If they're good enough, they travel to pro leagues, if not...well, they do what everyone else does after college. They get a job.

 

There are tons of college football teams. 119 Division 1-A to be exact, and there are at least three divisions that I'm aware of.


College basketball has even more teams because basketball is a much cheaper sport for a college to finance and support.


As far as CFB or the NFL, I have to say that I find college to be vastly more interesting. Different offenses, different defenses, and the chance at a genuine upset that just doesn't happen in the NFL. The pros all run the same pro-style offense while most run a basic 4-3 defense. I love watching a game where a traditional college powerhouse has to try and run the ball on a stiff 4-4 or 3-3-5, makes for a change of pace.


CFB also has the option

 

I think in the US there is a lot of regional differences in preferences.
For example, I live in New York (Manhattan) and here Baseball is still #1, though both the NFL and NBA are very, very popular. Up here there aren't too many NASCAR fans, though if you go down South, you will find that NASCAR is probably #1 and there just isn't the same interest in baseball. If you have ever been in midwestern towns like Green Bay or Chicago, the NFL is definitely king of pro sports.

As for NFL vs. NCAA football, I think that in recent years older fans have moved to the college game, as so much NFL culture seems aimed at younger viewers, it seems more and more like pro wrestling every season with players like Tyrell Owens and Jeremy Shockey. I still like the NFL but find myself becoming more and more of a College Football fan; also because the college game is getting better and better with more NFL coaches bringing NFL systems to the game (Pete Carroll at SC, Weiss at Notre Dame, etc.). They are certainly both ultra popular.

I lived in Italy for three years and there was really only one sport: soccer (football).

 

I doubt they need to work that much. They don't have to pay for college or living expenses because they'll likely have a full scholarship from the university, which can include tuition, fees, books, room and board.

 

Or Agriculture classes, thus the reason half of the class I TA for is made up of athletes (basketball and football).

Skiara in response to your question about how they manage to do it all, its all about time management. When I was in college, I was Captain of the equestrian team (so I rode every day, cleaned stalls, took care of two horses), Director of Standards and Ethics for my sorority which is a board position so a lot of extra meeting and extra responsibilities, and also was a resident advisor (I lived in a dorm and was in charge of my floor plus desk hours, developing programs for the dorm, etc). This was all in the same year and I still got a 4.0 (straight A's). Its all about time management. For these guys here, their day is pretty much planned out by the team, even down to study hours.

 

As a Finn I'll answer this: No. At least in Finland the most popular sports are ice hockey and various motor sports, most notably Formula 1 and Rally driving. Then comes various winter sports such as skiing (cross-country and downhill), skijumping or snowboarding.

Overall, Football (as in soccer) is definitely the most popular sport in the world in large.

 

here in the deep south, CFB is a lot more popular than pro. No one really gets into the Panthers or Falcons as much.

Worldwide: #1 is soccer(football) #2 is Tennis, alomst every country in the world (not really including Africa) has at least 1 pro tennis player

 

CFB = College FootBall.

 

My guesses are:
France: Football
China: Football
Japan: Baseball
Africa: Football... again

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out ^^

 

The Mets and Yankees combined drew 7.5 million fans last year. Baseball is on an upward swing and while I don't think it's ever going to be as popular as it was, it's still the second most popular sport in the country.

But, regionalization has to be considered, so in the NY area:

1. Baseball (NY will ALWAYS be a baseball city)
2. Football (NFL, NY has no college football teams. Sorry, Rutgers)
3. Basketball (although the Nets are always a joke no matter how well they do and the Knicks are currently a joke)
4. Hockey (3 teams and some of the best rivalries)
5. College Basketball
6. Tennis
7. Softball
8. Soccer


111. Jai Ali
112. NASCAR (which will NEVER succeed in NYC because NYers hate southerners and NASCAR is thee ultimate southern sport.)

 

But things will undoubtedly change if the Nets can finally move to Brooklyn, Yodave.

 

I can't speak for other college sports, but football players take a majority of their classes in the spring and summer.

 

Oh, yeah. But I wouldn't hold my breath in anticipation of that move. Things in NY take forever with the layers of beurocracy.

 

I would say Basketball is the most popular in China

 

Meh football did have an explosion in popularity thanks to World Cup 2002. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happened in Australia.

 

Probably Baseball or Football for the US, but my personal favorite is Baseball