Reed Harradine is a student athlete at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance while serving as the first string kicker and kickoff specialist for the Golden Eagles. Before transferring to Southern Miss, Reed Harradine attended Grambling State University, where he studied finance and accounting and earned recognition as a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. His athletic background began in soccer, where he developed as a goalkeeper and helped lead Mountain Brook High School to a state championship. He later expanded his focus to football, training with the nationally recognized One On One Kicking program and mentoring younger athletes in kicking and punting. As a current college football specialist with aspirations tied to the professional game, he is closely connected to the topic of differences between NFL and NCAA football.
Understanding a Few Key Differences Between NFL and NCAA Football
Football, also known as gridiron, is the most popular sport in the United States. In fact, the sport is so popular that National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football ranks as the second most-watched sport in the nation, trailing only the National Football League (NFL). The two sports share much in common, and elite college players often go on to enjoy success in the NFL. However, several key differences exist between NFL and NCAA football.
To begin, NCAA games typically last longer than NFL games. While both versions of the sport consist of four 15-minute quarters, NFL games averaged three hours and 12 minutes during the 2024 season, compared to an average of three hours and 27 minutes for college games. NFL teams ran an average of 153 plays per game, while college teams ran 175 plays. Despite these differences, both NFL and NCAA teams average about 22.9 points per game.
Although professional and collegiate football fields may look the same to television audiences, NFL fields are slightly bigger. They measure 120 yards long by 60 yards wide, compared to a width of 53.5 yards for NCAA fields. As a result, professional receivers and running backs have more room to operate, while defenses face greater challenges covering punt and kick returns.
Officials also distribute and use hash marks differently, with NFL fields featuring hash marks every 18.5 feet and college fields having hash marks every 40 feet. Furthermore, NFL hash marks are narrower; as a result, officials typically place the ball nearer the center of the field, which influences how coaches call plays.
Similarly, equipment varies between professional and collegiate football. A college football measures 10.5 to 11.5 inches in length, with a circumference of 27 to 28.5 inches, while NFL footballs measure 11 to 11.25 inches long and 28 to 28.5 inches wide. NCAA officials paint white strips on their footballs, making the balls easier to see in the air. NFL footballs lack these visual markers.
NCAA football team rosters are much larger than professional rosters. NFL teams consist of 53 players, of which 46 are available on game day. College rosters are more than twice as large, with 120 players, all of whom are eligible to play in every game, providing coaches with many more options.
Several gridiron rules work differently when comparing professional and collegiate games. If a game is tied after regulation, for example, college teams enter into a sudden-death overtime period, playing until one team scores and wins the game. NFL teams contest a single 15-minute period under normal rules and allow for ties during the regular season. In the playoffs, NFL teams contest a modified sudden-death period: if the first team to gain possession scores, the other team receives the ball and has an opportunity to tie the game, at which point the game follows traditional sudden-death rules.
Clock management differs throughout NFL and NCAA games. In college football, the clock stops following first downs, which is not the case in professional games. .
Several rules and penalties also work differently in professional and collegiate football, including defensive holding, pass interference, and down by contact rules. Perhaps the most notable difference involves catching the football. In the NFL, a player needs to secure the ball and land on the field with both feet for a legal catch. In college, players only need to plant one foot for referees to rule a catch.
About Reed Harradine
Reed Harradine is a football student athlete at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he studies accounting and finance and serves as the first string kicker and kickoff specialist for the Golden Eagles. He previously attended Grambling State University and has trained with One On One Kicking, a nationally recognized development program for specialists. His athletic background also includes elite youth soccer and a high school state championship. Reed Harradine has additionally mentored younger athletes in kicking and punting and enjoys golf and fishing outside of sports.
