Every year, the Associated Press and Coaches Poll rank the top 25 college football teams throughout the season. These rankings give the public a better idea of what teams stand out, and the people who vote in these polls are chosen specifically to be unbiased and informed. Now, college newspapers around the country are hoping to give voices to all the students in the stands watching games.

Patrick Felts, a writer for The Indiana Daily Student, reached out to colleges around the country looking for others willing to participate in this new idea. At Tech, Will Fuss and Jack Purdy accepted the challenge. Every week, they submit their rankings of the teams they believe make up the 25 best. “It’s fun to have an opinion on football outside of Tech and work with others while forming a community,” said Fuss, the sports editor of the Technique, Georgia Tech’s newspaper. The poll has been a way to engage the sports side of the paper, in a broader student journalism network. Because of this poll, Fuss appeared on a podcast with the Northern Illinois student beat writer before the two schools faced off, which brought the Technique’s name beyond the confines of Tech.

Most importantly, it has been fun for everyone involved. “It’s an excuse to watch more football. I’m up all day watching all the games,” Fuss said. College football is an integral part of the college experience, which is what makes it special to the students involved. On top of this, there is something that no coach or professional journalist has. “We have the soul of the teams. There is a different perspective that comes with being part of the student section compared to the press box,” said Purdy, the assistant sports editor. These students understand the opportunity and do not take it lightly. Both Purdy and Fuss strive to be objective as the participants in the other polls do.

Fuss was so thrilled by the opportunity that he immediately thought of putting it in print in the Technique. After reaching out to the Indiana Daily Student, they were delighted at the idea of informing more students about the poll. The Technique became the first college newspaper in the country to publish the poll in print media, and they have inspired many others to do the same. “This is a good thing for student media, and we want this to continue after us,” Purdy said. And it is an idea that will go beyond football, as they plan to continue polling for men's and women’s basketball.