As buildings burned, a nation mourned and Americans grappled with the fallout from the first seminal event of the 21st century, college football appeared to be in for a reckoning.
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a sport that was in a constant state of evolution seemed on the cusp of being reimagined.
The prevailing feeling then was the games would reflect this new, uncertain age as regional matchups became more attractive at a time when air travel invited fear and turned costlier.
Dave Brown remembers it well.
The founder of Gridiron, a software company that facilitates scheduling for the Football Bowl Subdivision, Brown recalled how some programs were quick to pivot in wake of those tragic events.