MADISON, Wis. -- The lowest rung of college athletics is an intramural flag football game in the campus quad played in front of zero spectators. It is presenting a security guard with a school ID card to prove you really are a student just to step onto the field. It is showing up two minutes before the game, barely stretching and then promptly losing to a team wearing SpongeBob SquarePants T-shirts as jerseys.
Alex Erickson has lived that life.
The highest rung of college athletics is an NCAA football game in Camp Randall Stadium played in front of 80,000 screaming fans.