In the United States of America, university football is a really big deal.
Stadiums at major universities can hold up to 100,000 in-person attendees, while millions tune in every week to watch the games on television. The sport brings in billions of dollars each year and some university football coaches are the highest-paid public officials in their state. These student athletes are household names across the country, not to mention celebrities to their classmates and the local community. I grew up in this uniquely American fan culture, where every Saturday was set aside for college football, and I feel nostalgic for it often.
With all of this in mind, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I heard about the annual Varsity American football game between the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier. What would American football look like, so far away from the country where it originates?
I found myself at Meggetland Stadium shortly before kickoff, pleased to be shielded from any rain or wind under the covered bleachers. But I quickly realised that this viewing experience would be much chillier than what I’m used to in Texas, and I was immensely grateful for remembering to bring gloves.
Unlike me, the crowd at Meggetland didn’t seem fazed by the cold weather. It felt like a real community event: families with children sat alongside students cheering on their friends. There wasn’t a specific section for Edinburgh Uni vs Napier fans, so everyone piled in together, reacting to the action on the pitch based on which team they’d come to support (and how well they understood who was succeeding on the play.)
For many of the people around me, the Varsity Game seemed to be their first introduction to the sport of American football. I overheard several animated and bewildered discussions about the game’s objectives, rules, and scoring. The stadium didn’t have a scoreboard or game clock, which probably added to the confusion for newer fans, but the game announcer made a concerted effort to explain the basics of the sport and its procedures.
In the States, not understanding football can seem sacrilegious and this creates a sense of exclusivity among its most ardent fans. But at the Varsity game, American football felt approachable and accessible to all. There wasn’t a marching band or a homecoming queen, but the Varsity Game took me back to what I love about university football to begin with: the community it fosters.
Match Summary as Edinburgh beats Napier 14-6 in Varsity Game
This was the twelfth iteration of the annual matchup between the two clubs as they competed for the MacKenzies Challenge Trophy. The Mavericks led the game 6-0 after a touchdown from AJ Rushing, but the Knights swiftly responded to keep things even at 6-6 after the first quarter. An interception and touchdown from Edinburgh’s Alexander Duncan, along with a successful two-point conversion, put the Mavericks up 14-6 in the closing seconds of the first half and concluded the scoring for the game. AJ Rushing was named the Most Valuable Player.
The Varsity Game is one of the biggest American football matches in Scotland and concludes the season for both teams.
Image via Katherine Coble