It is a very American thing to make college athletics so important. College teams exist in other countries but they’re never anywhere near as important as they are in America, and in general are considered secondary to club sports even by the athletes themselves. I think America needs more sports clubs as this can help separate academia from athletics, and also means you don’t have to reach the top level professional tier by your early 20s to be able to continue to participate in your chosen sports at a more casual, amateur level.