As a fan of Duke basketball, I was pumped when the Blue Devils beat the University of Houston in last year’s Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. I was also pleased that cross-town rival University of North Carolina lost. As a Christian, however, I celebrated the outspoken witness of UNC coach Hubert Davis and Houston coach Kelvin Sampson after their respective losses.

Outspoken faith has also been part of the storyline in college football this season. This is especially the case with Notre Dame and Ohio State, two teams who put together incredible runs of victories to advance to Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship game. Though I was rooting for the Irish to complete the comeback after a tough first half, it was not to be. Capping what must have been a very good day for J.D. Vance, Ohio State, was just too much.

Though it’s not unusual for athletes and coaches to thank God after big games, faith in Christ was consistently and specifically credited for the culture of both programs. So much so in fact, that, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt and Rece Davis made it a point of emphasis in their post-game analysis. As Davis said,

We hear a lot of times people talk about their faith and people sort of dismiss it. These guys were sharing their faith and reaching out and baptizing guys on campus… not just football teammates. And it became something powerful, not because they thought it was going to be handed to them to win a game, but it changed their relationships. It changed selfishness and made it go away… it didn’t guarantee they were going to win. And Notre Dame had a lot of that going on as well. We heard [Notre Dame coach] Marcus [Freeman] talk about that a lot this year… that it made guys selfless, and I think that’s the power in it. It’s not some magical thing… it helps you relate to your teammates differently.

The quarterbacks from both sides confirmed this analysis. Ohio State’s Will Howard, accepting the Offensive Player of the Game, said, “First of all God is good, and I’ve got to give all the thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” He then went on to talk all about his teammates and coaches, emphasizing the strong relationships that made this year so special.

Emotionally wrecked from the loss, Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard spent his press conference also describing how much he loved and respected his teammates. In fact, he carefully emphasized how impressive they were off the field, from his offensive line to the wideouts to the backfield. He then added,

Us and Ohio State were the two teams who praised Jesus Christ the most, and I think we strengthened each other in our faith… I’m happy to see Godly men come out on top no matter what the circumstance is. I’m happy to praise Jesus in the lowest of lows.

In addition to the time given to the role faith played for both teams by players, coaches, and the media, this was the other unusual part of the post-game praise reports Monday night. Athletes and coaches often thank God for wins, but acknowledging God’s sovereignty and goodness after a tough loss is far rarer. Leonard’s words reminded me of what North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said after the tough loss to end their season back in March:

There’s a reason for all seasons, and He’s the reason for all seasons. And I’m meaning Jesus. And those reasons are good, irregardless if it’s a sunny or cloudy day. All those reasons develop my character, refine my faith, and make me the person, and the husband, and the dad, and coach that I want to be.

Within a Christian worldview, the rule and reign of Christ extends to all of reality, including areas of life sometimes dismissed as trivial and unimportant. Certainly, sports are given a place far beyond what they're due in this cultural moment. For many, it is an idol. However, the Biblical teaching about Christ as Lord over every aspect of human existence brings clarity to how we ought to think about things like sports. If the Lordship of the risen Christ is the defining truth about life and the world, then all human relationships are transformed. Most importantly, our relationship with God is made secure by the work of Christ on our behalf.

Also, our sense of value and worth is no longer dependent on our performance or how we measure up to the arbitrary categories of our time, but rather, who we are is grounded in the reality that Christ is restoring us into His image. Our relationship with others is, as Coach Freeman described, about being “selfless” and “putting others before yourself.” With those relationships properly ordered, our relationship with other things around us, including the mundane or seemingly trivial, can also be properly ordered.

Thus, I believe we can finally answer that annual question that plagues us. . . does God really care who wins the Super Bowl (or the College Football Championship or March Madness)? The answer is yes, because He not only cares for those who win but also for those who lose.

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