Average Joe: Welp. Football’s over. What are we most excited for next?

The 2024 NFL and Collegiate football seasons are officially over. The Philadelphia Eagles and Ohio State are your respective champions after two compelling regular seasons and playoffs. The completion of the first season leading to the College Football Playoff National Championship and the denial of a first ever Super Bowl three peat leave us looking forward to our next sporting event buzz.

CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – The 2024 NFL and Collegiate football seasons are officially over. The Philadelphia Eagles and Ohio State are your respective champions after two compelling regular seasons and playoffs. The completion of the first season leading to the College Football Playoff National Championship and the denial of a first ever Super Bowl three peat leave us looking forward to our next sporting event buzz.

The NBA season has been in full swing and just concluded as active of a trade deadline as there has been in years. Not just in the quantity of moves, but in the involvement of some of the league’s biggest names. Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, and Jimmy Butler changing squads shook the league and have, along with some less headline grabbing moves, have changed the outlook of the potential title contenders.

The NCAA basketball season has also been in full swing and March Madness is right around the corner. The University of Illinois’ men’s and women’s squads are having strong seasons and not only look to be part of the Big Ten Conference and NCAA tournament field, but capable of advancing multiple rounds. Brackets will be filled out in mass and certainly busted as the madness delivers every year.

There’s also the start of the Major League Baseball season. The Chicago Cubs were the first MLB team to begin Spring Training workouts when their pitchers and catchers reported February 9. The Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers get started a little earlier than most everyone else because they’ll play the 2025 regular season-opening series in Tokyo on March 18-19. Opening Day for the rest of the league is March 27^th. The National and American League Central Division teams didn’t make much noise in offseason. Moves which seems par for the course as of late (See earlier Average Joe column here.) but that also means the division titles are up for grabs as most Central Division teams remain “mid”.

That’s just a few of our options, as collegiate baseball and softball start this month. Both U of I teams project to be competitive and make some noise in conference. Add the current and upcoming seasons for track & field, soccer, tennis, and golf, along with the corresponding high school seasons, and you have plenty to choose from and enjoy.

I know my answer, but what say the people? Which current/upcoming sports season/events are you most interested in now that football is over? Let us know through this survey: https://ul.ink/2QYECJ.