College football can feel almost religious to the people who follow it. Fall Saturdays are a kind of ritual: fans gather, set aside their differences and root for their teams.
So when something gets in the way of that, even for a good reason, it can be hard for devoted fans to accept. And the ongoing clash between college football and fall weddings doesn’t seem likely to end soon.
I’ve said before that if someone schedules a wedding on a college football Saturday, I’ll send a gift and miss the ceremony. Maybe that sounds childish, or like I’m putting a hobby ahead of people I care about. I know I’m not the only one who feels that way, though.
ESPN’s Matt Barrie apparently agrees. During Thursday night’s UTSA–FAU game, with a big weekend of ranked matchups ahead, he offered a direct message to fellow fans.
“If you’ve got anyone getting married this Saturday, unfamily them or unfriend them, and don’t go,” Barrie said. He added that he’d never been more serious about anything in college football.
That’s my kind of dedication. Barrie may get some criticism from more casual fans, but he clearly understands the people watching a Thursday-night college game instead of doing, well, almost anything else.
Honestly, he was probably preaching to the choir. If you’re tuned in to an American Athletic Conference game on Thursday, it’s hard to imagine you’re planning to attend a wedding that Saturday.
So, Matt, no need to unfriend or disown anyone this weekend. We’re in this no-fall-weddings business together.
