the white stripes

For most programs, the college football season starts today. Which reminds me of something that I have wondered about over the years: is the college football easier to catch?

Something that I have observed is how players at the collegiate level often make grabs that professionals don't. Now one would assume that players at the professional level are the best of the best, and naturally, would be better at catching footballs. Yet, this doesn't appear to be the case. NFL receivers frequently misplay balls, and college players seemingly make the majority of their opportunities. What would the difference be? Don't professionals advance through the collegiate ranks?

One of the first things that one notices after watching the two levels of football is the difference between the balls: the college-level football has a couple of white stripes towards the ends of the ball which the NFL-level football doesn't. Looking at a few games today, those wide stripes don't encircle the entire ball - but they are still there and certainly help distinguish the dimensions of the ball, as well as the speed of the rotation, among other things. Making it easier to catch.

One would think that this is obviously the reason that players catch footballs more consistently at the collegiate-level, yet I can't recall ever hearing that as an explanation. I suppose that the explanations most often offered have to do with the differing levels of the two leagues: speed, complexity, skill of opponent... but I think it has to do with the white stripes. Am I simply stating the obvious, or missing it?