OP-ED: Try a local Thursday night experience this fall
Senatobia, MS (08/17/2025) — While sold-out stadiums, television contracts, and game-day traffic jams often define Division I college football, they also bring something with them: sky-high ticket prices, swollen athletic budgets, and what can feel like a community less and less engaged in a cherished tradition and more and more engaged in a business transaction. The love of money seems to have completely usurped the love of the game.
Another version of college football exists in Mississippi-one that feels more real, more reachable, and perhaps even more fulfilling. Of the 15 community colleges that we have in our state, 14 play football. On Thursday nights, you can see some of the most astonishing college football there is. You may have a hard time finding a seat in a few stadiums, but you won't have any trouble finding a parking space. And even though you might not be taking out a loan to see these games, you'll be experiencing some truly priceless moments in the establishments that define your community.
These aren't second rate athletes either. Mississippi's community college teams are frequently ranked among the best in the nation and send many of their players not only to Division I programs but also to the NFL. Northwest Mississippi Community College, for instance, has former student-athletes that, collectively have played for every single NFL team. Also, NWCC was just recognized as an NJCAA All-Academic Team for the fourth consecutive year and had, no joke, the highest GPA among all football programs in the country in the NJCAA (3.25).
There are no crazy Name-Image-Likeness (NIL) deals, no mid-season recommits, no coaches who are paid so much it makes your head spin. Just the good, honest, 65-man roster, raw football that we all fell in love with so many years ago.
And it's not merely football. Our bands, cheer squads, and dance teams are among the very best in the country, carrying off national championships and filling stadiums with an energy that rivals any televised event, just without the sunburn. The sound of a community college band rolling across the field, the sight of cheer and dance teams stirring on the sidelines-these are the kinds of reminders I like to hear and see pushing back against the idea that sport is just another area of the economy to be mined for profits.
While it may seem like it's more about contracts and conferences than students and communities in Division I football, Mississippi's community colleges preserve something essential: affordable, family-friendly, high-quality competition. Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally dismissing all Div 1 football. But we have gotten to the point that the game really is disconnected from the original intent of the programs - for students to get an education.
If you want to witness the future superstars playing the game you love-or just enjoy football in its purest form-then you probably should take the 45 min drive to your local community college. Starting on August 28th, Thursday nights in Mississippi will see the lights shine bright, the bands play loud, and the spirit of college football live on.
As far as brain-drain goes, Mississippi Community Colleges retain over 84% of their graduates in their local communities after graduation. So, these Thursday nights don't just build champions on the field-they build citizens, leaders, and community futures.
That's something worth cheering for.
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Northwest Faces off against East Central on November 16, 2024 Photo by NWCC student Maylee Willhite