Founder of the Nigerian Collegiate League (NCL), Laolu Aranmolate, believes the championship will revolutionise university football and create the environment for budding talents in the country’s higher institutions to hone their skills and become big stars.
He described the NCL as a revolutionary confluence of sports, community, and academic fervour that has etched its mark as a transformative powerhouse in university sports.
Describing the inaugural clash between the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Babcock University at the UNILAG Sports Centre as a symphony of community unity, individual identity, and the pursuit of knowledge playing out on the field, Aranmolate said the league carries with it the hopes and dreams of university athletes eager to be part of something bigger and groundbreaking.
He disclosed that as over 1000 spectators held their collective breaths in anticipation, they witnessed a spectacle that went beyond the boundaries of conventional football matches.
“It was more than friendly; it was a declaration—a manifesto of what college football could become,” he said.UNILAG won the game 4-2, but, according to Aranmolate, “the victory was not just about goals; it was about a vision—an innovative vision that NCL painted on the canvas of the Nigerian college sports landscape.”
He described UNILAG’s star striker, Doyinsola Omotosho, who scored a brace in the game, as a testament to the calibre of athletes NCL aspires to nurture.
Aranmolate said: “NCL aspires to deliver a premium sports entertainment platform to Nigerian university students, right within the fabric of their communities.
“Our focus is not only on the game but on providing a platform for the exceptional athletes within. The attendance of 1,800 students at our season opener resonates loudly—the students crave sports, and NCL is here to furnish nothing less than premium sports entertainment.
“The journey has just begun, and the pages of this story are waiting to be written. This is not merely a league; it’s a narrative of innovation, passion, and the unwavering belief that sports can be a transformative force.”
