The Best Brand in College Football

College Football Questions | Finding CFB’s best answers

 

As branding is a dynamic process and can evolve over time, so too can the impact that brand carries on the collegiate culture. To put it another way, just because you are the oldest national program, that doesn’t mean people are buying your things now.

These rankings are broken into two tiers, with the top tier having the most influence. A number of factors influence a brand’s current impact but I specifically looked at merchandise sales, attendance, net worth, wins and losses, brand recognition, newsworthiness and influence on the sport.

Top Tier

Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas – Multiple championships, recent to semi-recent success, iconic coaches and players, distinctly recognizable uniforms, top facilities, consistent top attendance, continual top recruiters, merchandise sales, national newsworthy respect

You could make the argument that Texas does not belong in this category but you’d be wrong. Even with recent lack of success, they are still a national program with influence that has remained intact, despite never getting back to where they were before Nick Saban destroyed their entire regime. Other Texas schools are up-and-coming, but they still measure themselves by a longhorn yardstick. What Michigan lacks in recent success they make up for in tradition, sales, regional dominance, and a coach that is being seen everywhere

Second Tier

Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Southern Cal, Tennessee – Iconic players, coaches, and traditions, unrivaled dominance of state or region, consistent attendance records, recent to semi-recent on-field success not exceeding tier one status

Florida and Florida State are neck and neck here. Both tie for state dominance. Both have recent iconic college QBs with a history of players and coaches that established their programs. Even though FSU’s celebrity quarterback was a punk and alleged-rapist and Florida’s was the epitome athletic role models, both have faithful fans that spend tons of money and nationally recognizable brands. Oregon is consistent and a trendsetter. Fans and non-fans buy their merchandise. They were the first fast on the field to take it to recent success. Along with Hollywood and liberals, Southern Cal will always own the state of California. No win-loss record will change that. Tennessee owns their state like no other school can claim. They have a storied program with some of the best coaches and players in college football history. Attendance records and merch sales are some of the best in country year in, year out. They can play a song 20 times a game and fans still come to sing every word of “Rocky Top.” Notre Dame is Notre Dame and no matter what happens they’ll always be one of the best.

Honorable Mention: Michigan State, Auburn, Miami, Oklahoma, Penn State

Auburn, Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Penn State– These schools will always be compared to another in their state or region. No matter how much success they achieve, they will always be measured against another program. Right or wrong, that’s just the way it will be. Penn State…well that’s kind of obvious. What can I say – It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, if you let a child molester walk around and host “camps” on your campus, it MIGHT hurt your brand just a bit. That’s stink that won’t wash off any time soon.

By the Numbers

Sales

In 2015 Walmart provided the top 25 team merchandise sales and it was no surprise that two titans of the grid iron topped the list. Alabama and Ohio State ranked one and two. Now here’s the interesting part – this is from sales just in August 2015, before Alabama went on to win the National Championship and just after Ohio State’s dominating run of the 2014 season. Here’s a list of the notable teams:

• 1 Alabama
• 2 Ohio State
• 4 Georgia
• 5 Texas
• 6 Tennessee
• 11 Florida
• 14 LSU
• 18 Michigan
• 20 Florida State

Of course, a total of 12 SEC teams topped out the Walmart Top 25 because if there’s anything synonymous with the South and college football, it’s Walmart. Just spend a few minutes on People of Walmart and you’re bound to find some SEC gear pop up.

A more credible source of sales is from the Collegiate Licensing Company, CLC, (shout-out to Bill Battle!) which had the following schools listed as top selling schools based on merchandise. Here are a few notables:

• 1 Alabama
• 2 Texas
• 3 Notre Dame
• 4 Michigan
• 8 Florida
• 10 Tennessee
• 12 Florida State
• The CLC does not represent Ohio State, Oregon, or USC so they are not included in the ranking.

Attendance

Few things provide a brand as much strength as thousands of fans chanting its name every Saturday. That’s why attendance is a great indicator of a brand’s success. Attendance is a something that is both fluid and measurable. It’s one of the few things than can equally be driven by and drive the success of a program. Heck, Michigan gave tickets away to keep a streak alive back in 2014. It didn’t work for UAB and it didn’t work for Michigan either.

In an article for CBSSports.com, Jon Solomon provided data showing the 2015 top ten ranked teams for attendance:

1. Michigan
2. Ohio State
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Tennessee
6. Penn State
7. LSU
8. Georgia
9. Florida
10. Texas

• Notre Dame (15th)
• USC (18th)
• Florida State (20)

The NCAA home attendance rankings for 2014 (last publically available) were:

• 1Ohio State
• 2Texas A&M
• 3Michigan 
• 6Alabama
• 7Tennessee
• 8Texas 
• 12Florida
• 14Florida State 
• 17Notre Dame
• 21USC

Worth

Money talks and the brands with the most money behind it tend to make the most noise. The Wall Street Journal’s article from earlier this year listed the most valuable teams in college football. To tell you just how significant these brands are, he measured them by the millions;

1. Ohio State
2. Texas
3. Michigan
4. Notre Dame
5. Alabama
6. Oklahoma
7. Florida
8. Georgia
9. LSU
10. Penn State 

• Tennessee (13th)  
• Oregon (18)
• Florida State (21)
• USC (24)

Winning

Nothing makes people notice you more than when you are holding a trophy. Hold it a few times in a row and, like it or not, people form their own theory of expectations for you.

One name you may notice missing from the list is last year’s title contender Clemson. That was intentional. Clemson had a great season and will, by most accounts, be poised for another run at the championship this year. Nevertheless, until they do, they will not be seen as a perennial team on the national stage. They’ve come close, gotten their once, but have not shown us that’s where they belong. Other teams have. Other teams have that on-going expectation.

We recognize that the paths they have taken in past seasons and we know that they know how to get there.

Recognition

Some brands just have it. It means that wherever you go in the U.S., sometimes even globally, people know what that certain arrangement of letters mean. People are able to take one look at the almost spherical yellow “O” or the old block letter grey and scarlet one and know who they mean. It can be cow horns, ancient helmets, or just cursive letters but some teams have brand recognition and some just don’t.

However that’s not all you need to be a great brand. People recognize Miami as “The U” but the program should begin thinking of going to “The I” for irrelevant.  USC seems to have forgotten that they are a winning program, but, because of their brand, they continue to recruit the nation’s top talent.

Influence

The “law of influence” is a frequently used idea by John Maxwell when referring to leadership qualities. In business it’s leadership, in marketing, it’s the brand. There have been several programs that changed the way the game was played. Back in the 1960’s, coaching towers became the rage when Bear Bryant found success using them in practice. Soon even professional league coaches started climbing them every day.

Some programs change practices and some change the entire offensive concepts of the game, but few teams have been able to change the way the game looks like Oregon.

In 1999, Oregon unveiled their first eye-popping uniform featuring black, green, neon yellow, and the iconic space-age “O” on the side of their helmets. The combination would been seen as boring by today’s standards, but it was miles ahead of what anyone else was doing. Since that time Oregon has gone on to add all-black uniforms, subtle jersey patters, metal wings on shoulder pads, neon socks, and chrome helmets.

Granted Oregon’s alternate uniforms have much due to Nike and Phil Knight, but it was their program that made the change a trend. No every school seems to have a neon version of their own colors or a chrome helmet to wear at some point during the season. When traditional throwback uniforms become all the rage again, they won’t attribute the trend to Penn State or even USC. They’ll say it was because of Alabama & the power of their brand’s influence.

Newsworthy

When its golf, it’s Tiger. When it’s basketball, it’s Lebron. When it’s college football it’s . . . . . somewhat of a toss-up. I’ll explain.

Newsworthiness is the combination of five factors that actually make a story ”news”; timing, significance, proximity, prominence, & human interest.  For college football purposes, news at one school will get more media coverage than the same news at a smaller with no national recognition.

A perfect example of all of this is Notre Dame. You may remember the name of a player who lost his mother and lost his girlfriend (although invisible) and become a semi-household name in the sports world. Forget the fact that this guy well-spoken and had a very wholesome appearance or was an on-the-field stand-out player for one of the country’s best college defense at the time. No, what brought this guy forward was the intertwined “ND” on his uniform. Manti Teo was catfished and it was national news because of who he played for at the time.

Conclusion

The findings are clear and provide a way for fans to see which brands are the best. This is not to say that these teams are the best or deserve the most glory. This only means that these programs carry more weight. Sometimes that weight is equal to the strength required to lift the trophy, but more often than not, it’s the weight of a crushing loss sitting on their shoulders as fans realize that although their brand is strong, their season is finished.

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How to Make Your Lady Happy: The DIY Dating Game

I’m obviously not a dating expert, but I have been married for several years now. Over this time I’ve learned that having a great relationship with your spouse doesn’t just happen. It takes work and time and communication. So here’s a little game I’ve done to make the time you have with each other a little more special.

The last time my wife and I went out on a date we played this game. Here’s a list of questions to ask your spouse. You each take turn picking questions. The catch is that anything you ask, your spouse gets to ask you back. It’s a great way to make sure your conversations don’t stay on the surface level. A great tip is to ask a follow-up question. If there’s more there that you haven’t heard before, ask it. It’s a fun and interesting way to learn more about the person you love.

1.       What are some books you’ve really enjoyed?

2.       What books would you like to read sometime?

3.       What are your favourite foods?

4.       What did you want to be when you grew up?

5.       What is some of your favorite memories from your childhood?

6.       What are some of the more difficult memories from your childhood?

7.       What are you favorite hobbies?

8.       What did your parents teach you that you appreciate now?

9.       What did your parents say or do that you found difficult?

10.   Who is someone that inspires you?

11.   What do you like us doing together?

12.   What would you like to do together in future, just the two of us?

13.   What would you like to do together in future, all of us with the kids too?

14.   What is your favorite passage of Scripture?

15.   What is your favorite memory verse?

16.   What are your greatest strengths?

17.   What are your greatest weaknesses?

18.   What overwhelms you?

19.   What is concerning you?

20.   What are you fearful of?

21.   Are you content at present?

22.   What makes you happy?1

23.   How can I add to your happiness?

24.   What do you find attractive about me?

25.   When did you know you wanted to marry me?

26.   What are some of your favorite memories of us?

27.   How do you like me saying ‘I love you’ the most—words, gifts, or touch?

28.   How can I demonstrate my love for you in different ways?

29.   What do I do that irritates or frustrates you?

30.   How can I help you be a better husband/wife?

31.   How can I help you be a better father/mother?

32.   How can I better meet your physical needs and desires?2

33.   How can I better meet your emotional needs and desires?

34.   What can I do to encourage and support you better?

35.   Where do you see us in 5 years time? In 10 years time?

36.   Is there anything in your heart that you need to forgive me for?

37.   In what ways do you think we love differently?

38.   In what ways do you think we parent differently?

39.   Describe to me your relationship with God at present.

40.   Tell me about a memorable time you connected with God.

41.   What do you love about each of our children?

42.   What hopes and dreams do you have for each of our children?

43.   What are you most thankful for?

44.   How have you changed since we married?

45.   What do you like about our marriage?

46.   What would you like to change about our marriage?

47.   What spiritual gifts to you see in me?

48.   Is there anything you regret?

49.   Tell me something about yourself that I may not know.

50.   What are some of your greatest hopes?

These sample questions are taken directly from Intoxicated On Life. Check them out here.

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If I Were a Sandwich

If I were a sandwich I would be a classic one. Ham, turkey, lettuce, tomato, and bacon …. ahh, bacon. Simple stuff, but the best.

At least that’s according to a quiz I took this week.

Another one told me my “spirit animal” would be a grey wolf. That’s pretty cool. I could live with that.

If I were a fictional character I would be Bruce Wayne. That’s pretty cool too.

I found all this about myself from taking a few online quizzes. You answer a few questions and they tell you who you are. As if you didn’t know already.

The thing I realized when taking these quizzes is that a lot of people really don’t know who they are. They know how they identify themselves. They are their job. They are their relationships. They are where they were born or where they live or what team the pull for.

Those things are great, but they are only a part of the puzzle. I’m glad to say I have my job. I’m glad to say where I was born and where I live. I’m glad to say I’m married and a father of two amazing boys. I’m glad for those things that make me who I am, but they are not who I am.

I think identity should be deeper than those things. For me, it’s in my faith.

If you aren’t spiritual then you may not understand where I am coming from. Maybe it sounds corny to say, but these beliefs define everything about me. They define how I conduct myself. They define my hopes and my dreams. They define when I fail. They define when I succeed. They give me a sense that no matter what happens in the world around me or what happens to me, that this will never change. I’ll always be this person and nothing I can or anyone else can do will change this.

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” –Psalms 139:14

“Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” -Romans 3:24

“Had has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.” -1 Corinthians 1:30

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32

To me, that’s better than being a sandwich.

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Five Cent Lesson

I hate nickels.

I don’t know why, I just always have. I think it’s because they are so bulking but offer so little. So if I can avoid carrying them, I do.

As I got ready one morning I spot a single solitary nickel sitting my dresser. When I go to gather up my keys and wallet I pass right over the coin. It wasn’t a mistake. I remember consciously deciding to leave it behind.

I head out the door to work and don’t give it a second thought. I proceed with a normal day and, of course, by 2:30 I’m starting to lag. I usually stick with drinking water, but something about a little carbination on a long afternoon felt really appetizing. I decided to give in.

I pull out one of the drawers at my desk where I usually keep spare change. I comb through the mound of pennies that are unacceptable for the coke machine and come up with three silver gems; a quarter and two dimes …. exactly one nickel short of my goal.

I fill up my water bottle at the fountain and go back to work, still hating nickels.

Later when I got home and I saw that nickel staring back at me it made me think,

Just because something is annoying doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a plan or a purpose, just like you.

I believe that things happen for a reason. And it seems that if you believe that, then you have to believe that things have a purpose as well. 

No matter how annoying they may be.

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What I Saw With a Broken Camera

Like everyone I have a smartphone. Like everyone I have a compulsive addiction to taking pictures with it.

Until I broke it.

In what I can only call a temper-tantrum, I slammed my phone down on a table when it wasn’t cooperating. After cooling off I checked it out and saw there was no damage. Then I tried to take a picture later.

I saw a little line across the photo I had taken and the bottom corner was all fuzzy. I realized I cracked the lens on the camera. Crap.

I was mad at first. Not mad at myself for acting like a two-year old and breaking something, but mad at my phone. Soon enough I came to the self-realization that it was my own fault for being an idiot. I decided to leave it broken. Maybe it’d help me learn my lesson.

Then after a while I started noticing something. Whether in public or private, I stopped reaching for my phone to take a picture. Whether it was something funny I saw in Wal-Mart or my kids trying to dance to cartoons, I was able to laugh at it all and not fool around with filters. When a moment appeared I wanted to capture, when everyone else was scrambling for their phones, I didn’t have to. As arms shot up across the room so people could shove screens in their faces, I was glad I didn’t have to watch my phone for something I’d never see myself.

I didn’t have to tag it. I didn’t have to share it. I could just watch it.

I’m not proud of my short fuse or the fact I broke something, but I am glad what I learned;

Moments can be captured in a photo,

but memories are made in person. 

It’s hard to remember this when we spend so much of our time scrolling through social media, looking at the lives other people are living and thinking we have to show proof of our own adventures. Proof of the walk we took outside as a family. A snapshot of the meal we are having for dinner and the dessert that followed. It’s great for your friends and family, but how is it for you? What if you spent less time cropping a picture and more time crafting a conversation? Less filters and more laughter.

But it’s just a thought I thought I’d shared. Maybe it happened for a reason or maybe it’s me trying to justify that I’m just really to cheap to get my phone fixed. In the meantime, if you’re around me and something cool happens, forget you read this. Because I’ll want you to send me the picture you took.

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Novel Wisdom: Saban & Stoker

This post is apart of a series where I discuss quotes from books.

Tomorrow is Halloween and Nick Saban’s birthday. In past editions of Novel Wisdom I provided quotes from authors in pairs. They have ranged from C. S. Lewis and Donald Miller to David Anthony Durkham and Jack London. In honor of the day I thought I would provide a quote from one of the scariest books I’ve read and one from the man who is the king of college football today.

1904 Edition via

If you haven’t read Bram Stoker’s Dracula, you should. Even though the book was written in 1897, it’s still good. It’s compelling, thrilling, and extremely well-written. The book’s unique style of journal entries, letters, and character narratives keep the work feeling fresh. Like most classics, there’s a reason this one has been around for a long time.

“The world seems full of good men, even if there are monsters in it.”

For those not familiar with college football, the entire season is about one thing-raising the crystal trophy at the end. One man has done it more than most anyone else. In his book, How Good Do You Want To Be? Saban discusses his personal life and how decisions he made and habits he formed lead to his success. It’s sound advice that goes beyond the football field.  

“It doesn’t matter what your endeavor—salesperson, teacher, athlete—you must take advantage of the gifts you were given and make the decision to succeed. Keep in mind that many people with gifts and skills don’t make it to the top. Champions are rare. Everybody has some chance, some opportunity to change and improve, but not everybody takes advantage. Be somebody who does.”

I think the two quotes here are remarkably similar, despite the vast differences they have at first glance. They were written literally over one hundred years apart. One from an author of classic literature, the other from a college football coach. Stoker was from 18th century Dublin. Saban is from 1950’s West Virginia. But given the things that separate them, their quotes compliment each other well. In incredibly different ways the encourage the reader and ask them to do be someone of integrity. At least that was my take from it. If you have any thoughts on the quotes or the authors leave a comment below. I hope you have a great Halloween.

Essentials for Every Toolbox

Let me begin by saying I’m not a master craftsman. I work in a cubicle. I run a blog. But I’ve done my share of manual labor. I’ve pressure-washed chicken trucks (those trucks going down the interstate with cages full of chickens-somebody has to clean those-that was me). I’ve worked in auto-body repair and my parents have a farm. I’ve been around tools all my life. And I’ve done some handy projects around my own home as well. Here’s a post from a project I did previously.

We just moved into a new house and we are going about making the place our own. Mostly just little odd jobs. My wife has a knack for nice (read this as expensive) things so I do my best to avoid spending money by explaining I can just build whatever she likes. I’m currently converting some old shutters into a crafty-headboard, as seen here.

Among the short years of owning homes and a growing family I’ve had to rely on a variety of tools. I started thinking about all the things I’ve had to use the most.  There are tons of lists about necessary tools for every toolbox. Here’s a great one from Art of Manliness. Of course there is the standard hammer, pliers, & screwdriver set, but the more I thought about it, that’s not really what I needed. I realized that what was required was larger than anything that could fit into the palm of my hand. It was a mindset, a trait, and a person. Here’s my three.:

• Perspective – There’s the old saying that the Titanic was built by experts and the Ark by an amateur. While the majority of the projects you’ll be doing are probably a little less inspired than constructing a vessel for God’s people, the sentiment is still accurate. Whenever you start a project it’s a good idea to realize your level of expertise. Knowing you have the ability to do a job before you begin can save you a lot of hassle in the long run. Tackle any project you think you can do yourself but there’s no shame in calling an expert to check something out.

Before & After via 

• Patience – When construction started in 1927, Gutzon Borglum had to know the process of carving into the face of a granite mountain wouldn’t go quickly, regardless of any tools he could use. In fact it was a project he never finished as he died before its completion and his son, Lincoln Borglum, took over construction. Whether it’s repairing the bathroom sink or building a dining room table it’s important to know any project you undertake is going to require some patience. This goes hand-in-hand with perspective. The fact that you are doing something yourself means it probably won’t go quickly and you occasionally may have start all over if a mistake is made along the way. Ask any handyman he’ll be quick to tell you about his own trial and error construction attempts. It happens to everyone and the more patient you can be the more you’ll learn for next time.

• Partner -Unlike the other two “tools” this will require more than a state of mind. It could be a helping hand or an ear to bounce your ideas off of but having someone else will make any job easier. I’ve used neighbors, uncles, a brother-in-law and I’ve almost always consulted my father on any project. The advice they can offer is invaluable and an extra set of hands can go a long way. And what’s great is most people generally enjoy being sought out for advice. If there’s not someone in your family, try someone in your community. It could be the old guy down the street with the immaculate lawn. Even Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino was willing to lend his tools to the kid next door.  Hopefully your go-to is a little less crotchety and not as well armed.

Those are the tools I’ve found to be essential to any DIY project I’ve done. Perspective, patience, and a person to help can apply to pretty much everything. You can save them for your toolbox or carry them over to any aspect of life and I think they’ll be just as useful. 

What Twitter Won’t Tell You

Let me start by saying this isn’t an attack on Twitter. Twitter is a great outlet for news and entertainment and connects millions of people in a way we’ve never seen before. But as Twitter continues to grow, more things will be left in its wake. To me that consists of noteworthy advice, words of encouragement, thoughts on integrity – namely, quotes.

I like quotes and I use them often. I’ve mentioned quotes several times on this blog. I show quotes from books I’ve read and apply them to certain topics in a series called Novel Wisdom. I show quotes from some of my favorite characters in a series called Five From. I also use them during posts to drive certain points further.

A quote is what a tweet wishes it could be. Quotes can change attitudes, tweets just express them. Quotes have meaning, status updates are, for the most part, meaningless. Quotes are traced back through historical timelines. Tweets will remain dots on a news feed.

So what Twitter won’t tell you is that in a world where everyone can be heard, don’t take your access to something as certification that it is important. Recognize that quotes are something said that will change people’s lives, while tweets just document them. Twitter won’t tell you that a celebrity’s inner-thoughts about grocery shopping or a public apology for acting like an idiot is not quoteworthy and it’s barely news. Twitter won’t tell you that quotes are still being made.

Quotes aren’t a nonrenewable resource that can only be found in historical speeches or classic literature. They continue to be found in books and articles. Read some of the blogs on WordPress, or books on the best-sellers lists, or check out Amazon Kindle Highlights. Meaningful quotes are still out there. You just have to do a little more than scrolling to find them.

It is for this reason I’ll soon be releasing my next book, A Few Thoughts: A Collection of Quotes. Subscribe to the blog to be the first to know when it becomes available.