Football State?

The state of Indiana has, and will always be, directly tied to the sport of basketball. However, as each year goes by the state slowly becomes more and more football oriented. As a sat and watched the NFL combine this weekend I started to think about how every single elite player that comes out of this year’s draft will have gone through Indianapolis on their way to NFL superstardom. I continued thinking about just how much of an impact and how influential football is becoming to the state of Indiana. 

First of we look at the premier level of football in the state, our NFL franchise the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have become a steadfast part of our culture and there is certainly no arguing the impact they have had on our community. Growing up I was groomed more to follow Indiana University basketball and I certainly attended more Pacers’ games then Colts’ games. However, as I talk to people across the state, it is clear that kids are growing up bleeding blue, and every Sunday they sit in front of the TV glued to Peyton Manning’s every move. Now it is basketball season and we search for places to turn, but other than Purdue we do not find much to satisfy our sport’s needs. Even that is a bit tainted with the loss of Robbie Hummel, and the hope of a final four that once surrounded Purdue is fleeting. Along with the Colts, Indianapolis has been awarded the 2012 Super Bowl, and look to be in the running for hosting more Super Bowls for years to come. Furthermore, they are the yearly hosts of the NFL Scouting Combine, an event that brings all of the brass of the NFL teams together for one event. The Colts clearly are the best professional organization in the state at this time, and the strong impact they are having on the state is unquestionable. 

Now we turn to the collegiate level, and where else can you turn but north? Up in South Bend, Indiana has one of the greatest collegiate football programs of all-time. Notre Dame, although in a bit of a rough patch, still has the attention of the nation every Saturday. Whether you love them or hate them, it seems football fans from all walks of life tune in on Saturday to watch the “gold-domers.” Another collegiate program that occasionally makes it into the national spotlight is Purdue. Although they have just about as much success as IU over the past few seasons, they have certainly developed a strong fan base that has grown accustom to watching top flight quarterbacks. Even IU has been trying to reverse their cultural tradition of football ineptness, and have recently constructed new state of the art facilities. It is clear that all of these schools are either rich in football tradition, or attempting to increase their football culture surrounding their university. 

Finally, we move down to high school football. Warren Central established itself as one of the elite programs in the entire nation, and have played on the national stage on several occasions. Their dominance has also filtered to other Indianapolis programs, and on a yearly basis the state is now producing elite division one prospects. Although our high school level of football is clearly not as well-developed as other states, such as, Ohio, Texas, and Florida. It is clear that the Friday night’s in our state our becoming more and more popular. 

I am not naive nor am I blind. It would be very difficult to make the claim that we are no longer a basketball state, however, a case can be made that we are slowly becoming a more well-balanced state. Football has become the dominant sport throughout the entire nation, so it is only fair to assume that our state will also become more attached to the game of football. The continued success of the Colts paired with the traditional surrounding our universities, has helped play a factor in our growth as a football state. Who knows maybe one day we will also develop into a basketball, football, and baseball state…. Nahh.