College Football and Climate: The Hidden Environmental Impact of Week 2 Showdowns
College football, with its roaring crowds and electric atmosphere, often feels like a world apart from the pressing issues of climate change and sustainability. Yet, as fans gear up for Week 2 games featuring iconic programs like LSU, Alabama, and Miami, it’s worth pausing to consider the ecological footprint embedded in these massive sporting events. The spectacle of college football, broadcast live with every touchdown and tackle, conceals a complex web of environmental costs — from the carbon emissions of packed stadiums and traveling fans to the resource-intensive maintenance of playing fields and stadium infrastructure. The stadiums themselves, such as LSU’s Tiger Stadium and Alabama’s Bryant-Denny, are engineering marvels designed to accommodate tens of thousands of spectators. However, these venues consume vast amounts of energy for lighting, heating, and cooling, especially during night games and colder months. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production highlighted that sports…