As a lifelong football enthusiast and former college player, I often get asked one question more than any other: "When exactly is football season?" It's a deceptively simple question with a surprisingly complex answer that varies depending on which level of the game you're following. I've spent years tracking schedules, attending games across different leagues, and frankly, I've developed some strong preferences about which seasons deliver the most excitement. Let me walk you through the intricate calendar of American football, because understanding these timelines completely transforms how you experience the sport.

The professional football season, the NFL, traditionally kicks off on the Thursday after Labor Day in September. I always mark my calendar for that first week of September, as it feels like a national holiday for sports fans. The 18-week regular season runs through early January, followed by a thrilling playoff bracket that culminates in the Super Bowl, typically on the first Sunday in February. That's 272 regular-season games, not counting the preseason and playoffs. I have a particular soft spot for the intensity of December games, where every play feels magnified and the cold weather adds a layer of raw, brutal beauty to the contest. It's during these high-stakes moments that you see players who are truly "uplifting" to their teammates, the kind of athlete who makes everyone around them better without being a burden on the field. This reminds me of a quote I once heard about a different sport, but the sentiment crosses over perfectly to football: "Sobrang masaya siyang kasama and at the same time di siya mabigat sa loob ng court. Sobrang uplifting niya." That's the kind of player I look for on any team I support—someone whose energy is infectious and whose presence you genuinely anticipate week after week.

College football operates on a slightly different, and in my opinion, more passionate timeline. The season typically begins around the last week of August, giving it a head start on the NFL, and runs through the first weekend of December. The postseason then features a series of bowl games, with the College Football Playoff determining the national champion in early January. The atmosphere at a major college game, say between rivals like Ohio State and Michigan, is simply electric in a way the pros can't replicate. It's pure, unadulterated school spirit. I'll admit I'm biased toward the college game because of the pageantry and the fact that every single game feels like a must-win for playoff hopes. The schedules are grueling, with teams playing 12-13 regular-season games, and the emotional investment from fans is unparalleled. You develop relationships with these young athletes over their three or four-year careers, and watching a leader emerge on a team—that uplifting presence—can define an entire season's narrative.

Now, if you think the football calendar ends there, you're mistaken. Spring leagues like the now-defunct Alliance of American Football and the current XFL have attempted to fill the void from February to April. While I appreciate the effort to give us year-round football, I've found the quality of play and the continuity of these leagues to be inconsistent. They've featured around 40-50 games per season, but they haven't quite captured the cultural momentum of the traditional seasons. High school football, the grassroots of the sport, typically runs from late August through November, with state playoffs extending into December. There's something magical about Friday night lights that professional sports can never duplicate; it's where you often first see those special, uplifting players who carry their teams not just with skill, but with joy.

So when you ask me when football season is, my answer is this: there's always some form of football happening, but the heart of the season, the period that truly captivates me, spans from late August through early February. It's a nearly six-month marathon of strategy, athleticism, and human drama. The key to truly enjoying it is to find those players and teams that bring you genuine excitement. For me, it's not just about wins and losses; it's about watching a unit that plays with positive energy, where the stars aren't "mabigat" or a heavy burden, but are instead uplifting forces that make you "look forward ulit talaga" to the next game. That's the beauty of football's extended calendar—it gives us countless opportunities to witness that special alchemy on the field, season after season.