One thing I’ve probably never said enough is this: I genuinely love small college athletics. All of it! Not because it’s perfect. It isn’t. But because it still feels like college sports were originally meant to feel. Not saying major college sports are bad, because they aren’t, and I love them as well. But there’s something uniquely beautiful about small college athletics. Most campuses are small enough that people actually know one another. Professors recognize students by name. Coaches see their athletes outside of practice. Faculty, administrators, coaches, and classmates aren’t just sharing the same campus……they’re sharing the same community. The educational mission still matters. It’s often very much what drives every aspect of the institution. That’s something worth protecting. People also forget just how good these athletes are. Whether they’re in the NCAA, NAIA, USCAA, NJCAA, NCCAA, or another association, they’re still among a tiny percentage of people who continue competing after high school. Less than 7% of high school athletes ever play at any collegiate level. Think about that. If you’re still competing, you’ve already accomplished something most athletes never will. Yet many of these student-athletes spend their careers being told they aren’t “good enough” simply because of the logo on their jersey or the school that recruited them. I’ve never believed that. I’ve seen future doctors, teachers, engineers, business owners, coaches, military officers, politicians, clergy, and incredible parents come through small college programs. I’ve watched athletes develop because someone believed in them when bigger schools didn’t. I’ve seen coaches build families instead of rosters. And YES, I’ve seen many become professional athletes as well. The crowds may be smaller. The budgets may be tighter. The facilities may not make ESPN. But the relationships are often deeper. Student sections still know the players. Communities still rally around their teams. Coaches often wear twenty different hats because they care more about the students than the title on their office door. Small college athletics has always reminded me that success isn’t measured only by TV contracts, NIL deals, or social media followers. It’s measured by lives changed. Some of the best coaches I’ve ever met work at schools most people couldn’t find on a map in their own state. Some of the best teammates, leaders, and human beings I’ve ever known wore uniforms that rarely made national headlines. Small college athletics doesn’t need anyone’s sympathy. It deserves more people’s respect.