College football gifts

College football gifts can bring back fond memories and be conversation starters at family gatherings or parties. Here are ideas on what to buy the college football fan in your life. A good gift for schools in the NCAA or even NAIA is something useful around the house, in the car, or in the office.

• T-shirts, golf shirts
• Sweatshirts
• Mugs
• Hats (baseball caps ironically)
• Tickets
• Books of famous coaches like Joe Paterno or Bear Bryant
• Pennants can be used for room decorations and around an entertainment center.

Shirts and sweatshirts are practical gift ideas. College football teams have school colors. Pick up a shirt with a college football team logo. If it’s not the color the person usually wears then you might consider buying neutral slacks. I think golf shirts and t-shirts would be geared more toward men.

If you can’t find a golf shirt or t-shirt with the exact logo then buy a shirt of a similar color and include another gift with it.

Sweatshirts are everywhere and they’re worn in every part of the United States, except for maybe Yuma, Arizona on rare occasions. Okay, kidding. Sweatshirts with a team logo or school logo are usually going to last for several years. My Pitt Panther sweatshirt logo is almost completely worn off but it took about 15 years for that to occur. Time to get a new Pitt Panther sweatshirt.

Mugs are readily available with school logos. They come in all types: regular coffee mug appearances, travel mugs for the car or sporting activities. I enjoy collecting mugs. Just make sure the person you’re buying for doesn’t already have a mug of his or her favorite team.

Hats may not be worn as much as shirts and sweatshirts and in many cases, hats may cost almost the same amount of money.

Tickets – scour Stub hub for tickets that may cost less than buying through the school or at the stadium. I’ve bought Dodgers tickets on Stub Hub and have gotten into Dodger games for only $1.00. Wait! Did I hear someone say the Dodgers are only worth $1? Guess what? I’ve heard Pittsburgh Pirate tickets on Stub Hub have cost more than Dodgers tickets. Check out Stub Hub for college football discount tickets.

Books of famous coaches may make a good gift for men. The books bring back memories and they usually contain lessons that are applicable in business. Men like to use sports analogies in business just like pastors use sports analogies in sermons! Joe Paterno of Penn State and Bear Bryant of Alabama are ones that come to mind. They’re respected by a variety of college football fans regardless the school affiliation.

Of course, you could buy a Pete Carroll USC memoir on “Why I skipped town as the NCAA brought the hammer down” or why Lane Kiffin left an emotional forest fire in Tennessee – but alas, I digress.

Pennants – if you can find a good place to hang a pennant on the wall then they could make a good college football gift and room decoration. Hmm, when’s the last time you’ve gone to game and saw someone wave a pennant?

Foam fingers with a team’s logo? Here’s an idea. Find out the school your college football fan hates and make a foam finger with only the middle finger . . . nah, forget it. College football generates timeless memories which is why it can be a good way to think up worthwhile gift ideas for the fan in your life.

Finally, here’s a college football gift idea: while you can buy gifts from individual schools you may also buy a gift that has the conference like Big Ten or PAC 10 or SEC. They usually don’t spark as much emotion as an individual school but it’s worth looking in to.