The Cult of College Football

What group, other than a cult, convinces you to wear the same colors every Saturday, learn secret hand signals, plan your life around a weekly gathering, and develop an irrational hatred of strangers because they went to the wrong school? This week, our managing producer Katie Epperson (@katieepp) takes over the mic to investigate her own lifelong cult: college football. From inherited fandom and booster money to Texas A&M rituals that genuinely require an orientation manual, the parallels get a little too easy to spot. Joining Katie is college football creator and College Football Happy Hour co-host Lucy Rohden, (@CFBLucy), a proud Iowa Hawkeye who has also been indoctrinated since birth. Together, they get into why rivalries feel so personal, how NIL has changed the power dynamic between players and programs, and what happens when a sport built on loyalty asks young athletes to sacrifice quite literally everything for the team. And yes, they also determine whether refusing to wear your rival’s colors belongs at the tailgate or inside the cult compound. Fight songs. Loyalty tests. Sacred Saturdays....Lane Kiffin? Sounds like a cult to us. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Order Iman's new book, Once in a Timeline, here! Thank you to our sponsors! Find the card that fits your lifestyle and apply today at https://joinbilt.com/cult To get $20 off your first box, Give ButcherBox a try, at https://ButcherBox.com/CULT If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order at ⁠⁠bit.ly/3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OdtU5X⁠ Download Whatnot today and get $20 off your first purchase Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices