The Best College Football Movies
These college football movies are gritty, thrilling and hilarious!
By: Ross Blilie
05-25-2023
I never got to play football in college. My younger brother was recruited to play for the University of North Dakota and Minnesota State University Moorhead, however he chose not to take any offer to play college football. I remember his goal was to play for the Bison of North Dakota State, but he never got "the call." In the end, he ended up becoming a very successful Vice President of Operations in Waconia, Minnesota.
These movies that I have chosen to rank are intense, thrilling, exciting, suspenseful and funny. I think it gets difficult to rank movies based on a person's opinion, however I think there is an overall consensus that these movies are watchable multiple times.
I think one of the best ways to rank these movies is how it makes me feel when it ends.
Rudy
If you have never seen Rudy, then you didn't watch tv enough. Rudy is my all time favorite college football movie because it's based on a true story. Yes, Disney took a little creative licensing to make it dramatic, however, the ending still makes me feel inspired because he never gave up on his dream of playing for Notre Dame. Moreover, if you didn't know, Rudy played with Joe Montana. The fact that the writers and director took a real life story and made it into the best movie to watch multiple times is unbelievable.
The Program
I love this movie because it is very intense. Similar to Friday Night Lights, but a major difference is that the camera operators were not moving around with the players and coaches. They were steady and zoomed in. Craig Scheffer as the main character, Joe Kane, is very good at playing his character. James Caan and Omar Epps also make the movie thrilling and exciting.
We Are Marshall
I love this movie because it's based on true events. Although the team didn't win many games that season, the fact that they continued to play to honor those that died in the plane crash is remarkable. Matthew McConaughey plays the Head Coach and does a really good job of inspiring his team to want to play and finish out the season.
The Express
The true story of Ernie Davis and how he followed in the footsteps of Jim Brown. Given the time of the story, the fact that Davis made a name for himself all the way from high school through college and to the NFL is triumphant. He never gave up and persevered.
Greater
This is an incredible story based on true events. I had this in my best high school football movies article, but really the main character, Brandon Bullsworth, makes a name for himself in college at the University of Alabama. It is so impressive how he did it. I'd highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.
The Waterboy
I have to put this hilarious movie on this list because without Adam Sandler, it doesn't have the same effect. One the funniest sports movies ever made!
Necessary Roughness
Scott Bakula as the main character and quarterback of a terrible college team makes up this one. It's got "A-List" Hollywood stars like Sinbad, Evander Holyfield(yes, I know he is not a movie star, but he is famous), and super hot model ( at the time) Kathy Ireland as the kicker who helps the team gel. There are some funny parts, but it's also a decent movie.
School Ties
I love this movie because it deals with relationships between classmates and teammates. Plus it has Matt Damon and Brenden Fraser in it.
The 5th Quarter
This is another one of those movies that make you feel inspired from what all the characters went through. Getting a second chance at life and using the trauma to build better, deeper and more meaningful relationships is the premise. Ryan Merriman does a nice job of acting in this one. I really like the story.
My All-American
Another classic trauma type movie that finds success in the end. Aaron Eckhart is the "A-List" celeb who makes this movie money. Similar to Brian's Song, relationships are broken then repaired later in the story. A feel-good story that makes you feel good in the end.
Ross Blilie is an avid NFL fan of the Minnesota Vikings since the 1990’s. He loves to talk about the NFL. He also enjoys attending the University Of North Dakota Men’s Hockey games in Grand Forks, ND. His hobbies also include bowling with his wife and friends, narrating audiobooks, fishing, and even sitting by a campfire with family at Lake Blackduck in Minnesota. You can find Ross on twitter & Instagram @Rossthenarrator.
