Athletes prepare themselves mentally and physically to get the upper hand on their opponents, but a recent survey done by the Public Religion Research Institute showed that a quarter of Americans believe athletes should be hitting the Church pew instead of the gym.

“Athletes who believe in God may work harder because they have something to believe in,” Gabriel Garrison freshman secondary English education major and cross-country runner said. “Indirectly, God may have an impact on the outcome of sporting events if enough of a given team is inspired by him.”

Just in time for the Super Bowl, the study showed that more than a quarter of the American population believes God influences the outcome of sporting events while half the population believes “God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success.”

With a record breaking year for the Hornet football team, and winning seasons from almost every other sport, do a quarter of Americans believe God is a Hornet fan?

Jake Snyder, sophomore chemistry major and a devout Christian says he does not think God directly affects the outcome of sporting events.

“We prayed before football games but we weren’t praying to win,” said Snyder. “We pray that God will let us play to the best of our abilities and we pray that nobody gets injured during the games. I don’t think he plays a direct role in the outcomes of games but I do believe he keeps players safe.”

Last October, ABC news said that almost 48 percent of Americans consider themselves Protestant and a little over 20 percent Catholic and with athletes like Tim Tebow constantly combining athletics with God it is easy to see why so many people believe that he does have an affect.

1 Timothy 4:8 says, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” And 2 Timothy 2:5 says “Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.” Both acknowledge the existence of sporting events but nothing about God’s affect on them.

Whether you believe in God or not, the Hornet football team came out with a winning season and we can all agree that it would not have been possible without hard work and determination of the individual players.