The KU Game Day Magic

We used to have season tickets for KU football games. Every Saturday, I’d haul myself, two small children, and sometimes a bleacher seat up the hill, huffing and puffing as I climbed while solidly building what every student, alum, and football fan fondly referred to as the ‘KU calves.’

Once we made it up the hill, my kids always headed straight to the Kid Zone, where they could toss a football for prizes, get their faces painted, and choose a balloon animal to cart around the stadium, a magical treasure they adored with all their heart, until they fell asleep on the ride home, completely oblivious to it the next morning. Between free T-shirts, fan giveaways, bobbleheads, and team flags, every game was packed with little joys that made the day unforgettable.

At KU, football has never been the powerhouse, so it makes sense that they used these ‘freebies’ for student and fan engagement. And trust me—I get it. But as college athletics have changed, especially with NIL money now in the mix, some of that ‘magic’ feels different.

Understanding NIL: The New College Sports Landscape

Name, Image, and Likeness (better known as NIL) refers to the rights college athletes now have to profit from their personal brand. This can include sponsorships, social media promotions, autograph signings, merchandise, or other ways athletes can earn money using their name, image, or likeness.

Before NIL rules changed in 2021, NCAA athletes were prohibited from earning money outside of scholarships. Now, athletes at schools can sign deals with companies, work with brands, and leverage their popularity, sometimes earning thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the sport and visibility.

While this opens new opportunities for athletes, it has also changed the landscape of college sports. Things like fan engagement, game-day experiences, and the focus of athletics departments are starting to shift as schools and athletes navigate this new world of compensation. Paying athletes has left athletic departments strained and underfunded as well, leading to lower investment in fan experiences, community programs, and the little touches that once made game days memorable. In some cases, budget pressures have even forced job eliminations, further straining departments and shifting focus away from the broader student-athlete and fan experience.

Balancing Compensation and Tradition

I understand that athletes deserve to be compensated for their talent and hard work. They’ve earned the right to profit from their name, image, and likeness. But I can’t help but wonder if this is the best way to go about it. Some of the little things that made attending games so special like fan giveaways, interactive zones, and community engagement are starting to disappear. And as the focus shifts toward money, the sense of unity and shared excitement that once made sports so magical feels diminished.

And honestly, it does make you wonder about the rest of us. What about the students who spent years studying, pulling all-nighters, and acing exams? College is supposed to reward that hard work too, yet they don’t get to monetize their brainpower in the same way. Somehow, the system seems to favor a killer crossover over a killer GPA.

It also makes me wonder. Is this really fair to all college athletes? Not everyone has the same level of visibility or marketability, so not everyone benefits equally from NIL deals. While some athletes can land big sponsorships and endorsements, others work just as hard without seeing any of those opportunities. Does this create a new kind of inequality among students who are already giving their all?

Why Sports Still Matter

I love sports. I love the competition and the fierce fire it sparks in people to push beyond what they thought was possible. I love hearing the inspiring stories, witnessing the camaraderie among teammates, and experiencing the sense of unity it brings to everyone involved. Youth leagues, and even college athletics, has always been about playing with heart and teaching life lessons far beyond what the game itself ever could. There’s something powerful about seeing someone pour themselves into a season, and then, against all odds, succeed beyond everyone’s expectations. And even when they fall short, the lessons gained in those moments often end up being more valuable than a win ever could.

Professional sports have always centered on making money and building a personal brand. Because of that, I’ve never found watching them quite as fun. Of course athletes want to win. More victories mean more visibility, and more visibility often means more money. But it also makes the game feel more like a job, sometimes shaped more by roles and expectations than by the simple love of playing. And believe it or not, that shows on the field. To their teammates, their coaches, and even to fans.

Returning to the Stadium

I recently took my kids to a KU football game. While they’re older now and no longer need the validation of free balloons or posters to tack on their bedroom walls, the experience still felt different. The giveaways, the kid zones, the little touches that once made Saturdays so special seemed fewer and farther between. Instead, it felt like the focus was on squeezing every dollar out of the event. Tickets were harder to come by, the stadium felt oversold, and every space was packed to the point that it was hard to even enjoy the game. At one point, I realized my ticket must have only covered half a seat, because I was basically sitting on the lap of the guy next to me while he enjoyed the luxury of a full man-spread. The sense of community and celebration that once defined game day was replaced by a more commercial, crowded atmosphere.

But I can’t help wondering, am I the only one who feels this shift? Do others miss the giveaways, the kid zones, the little traditions that made game day feel like more than just a business transaction? Or is this just the natural price of progress in college athletics?

Holding Onto the Heart of the Game

I no longer have season tickets to KU football games. With the construction of the new stadium and the push to maintain a talented roster through consecutive winning seasons, costs have risen and ticket availability has become limited. Still, I love KU. And every so often, I take my kids to a game so we can soak in the experience of cheering on the Jayhawks, new stadium and all, for better or worse. I still proudly wave the wheat after a touchdown, and I still lock arms with the crowd and other fellow alumni as we sway together to the music and sing, “Hail to Old KU.”

But deep down, I miss the magic of what it used to be. I miss the wide-eyed joy of my kids racing to the Kid Zone, the giveaways that made us feel like part of something bigger, the sense that college sports were about heart first, not money.

Maybe the game looks different now, but I’ll always hold onto those memories and the lessons they carried. The thrill of a hard-fought win, the laughter echoing through the stands, the sense of togetherness with strangers who felt like friends, and yes, the simple, unexplainable magic of how a free T-shirt or a balloon could make a Saturday unforgettable. Those moments weren’t about money or fame, or being compensated for talent; they were about heart, connection, and joy.

One day the fame will fade. Someday, the money won’t mean nearly as much. And perhaps, looking back years later, the memory won’t be of how much students were paid to be college athletes, but rather about their love for the game, the cheers from the fans on a chilly Saturday afternoon, and the life lessons they chose to carry with them along the way.

After all, that’s what sports are truly supposed to be about. The heart, the joy, and the moments that stay with us forever.