Friday night’s matchup between Penn football and Yale wasn’t just a spectacle for families in town for parents weekend, or even the visiting Bulldog fans, but for a young sports fan-turned-social-media icon, viewing the game from the Quakers' sideline.
That person was Jack Settleman, founder and operator of the social media brand Snapback Sports, a platform which brings sports news and discussion to fans across the world. Last week, that included a visit to Franklin Field for Penn football's Friday night matchup with Yale, where Settleman covered the Bulldogs' 31-10 win.
In 2017, Settleman, then a junior at Texas, launched Snapback Sports, which began as just a single Snapchat account — one which has now accrued close to one million subscribers.
This year, the platform introduced Snapback Saturdays, which includes content of Settleman and his team traveling to over 15 college football games during the season, all at separate venues. The final objective of their task: Identify the best sports experience in the world. The Snapback has journeyed to places as close as Pittsburgh, and as far as London and Brazil, all within the past two months.
The most recent stop on Settleman’s worldwide tour was none other than the sport’s oldest active stadium: Franklin Field. While the Quakers' performance was forgettable, Snapback’s West Philadelphia experience was one to remember.
Earlier in the day, Settleman drilled a 25-yard field goal at the northwest end of the stadium. “Arizona State, call my line,” he remarked, looking right into the camera following the kick, alluding to Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham’s remarks after the Sun Devils’ 22-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats on Oct. 19.
The team also enjoyed a tour of Penn’s athletic facilities, including the recently renovated football locker room.
“Nicer than Knoxville,” Settleman said, referencing his visit to Tennessee on October 12.
The most appealing part of it all, however, was the beautiful campus in the heart of University City.
“This is prestige," Settleman said. "This is what [a] prestigious campus feels like.”
After traveling to Miami for the Hurricanes' matchup with Florida State on Saturday, Settleman's next college football event will also take place in the Keystone state, when Snapback Sports heads to State College for Penn State's White Out matchup against Washington.
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