Prayer is different than calling your wife after the game. There's nothing in the first amendment that prevents the government from establishing a call-your-wife-after-the-game protocol, but there is a clause in the first amendment that prevents the government from establishing a religion. So prayer and other religious activities are always going attract more judicial scrutiny than other stuff.
I don't think it is different midfield after a football game.
I think it is different in the gym during an assembly.
I think it is different during class. At halftime.
I would have easily walked away after the game and felt no pressure to kneel and pray.
Not the same exact concept, but I remember when the supreme court decided the opposite direction for a case involving my high school. You probably remember the case. Short version, might even have some details wrong, but it's been a while...
Graduation ceremonies were held at a church. Big massive cross covered up. All the small stuff moved. You still knew it was at a church. Somebody got upset about that. Sued. Supreme court said you can't do that.
Always pissed me off. And I hated the church in question. We used to refer to them as cultists. Was a big mega church.
The reason the school started having graduation there is because our school didn't have AC. My girlfriend actually fainted because it was so damn hot in that gym. So did like three parents and grandparents. Local mega church said hey you can use our facility for free.
So they moved it to the church. I remember going to my sister's graduation and thinking man this would have been sooooo nice.
Luckily by the time the case was decided a new field house with AC was built that year.
I thought it was pretty stupid that somebody got bent out of shape about that. Just the fact that you knew it was a church outweighed not wanting people to melt by the person filing suit and then up the line.
There wasnt any religious mention, service, employees, anything and it was very well known why the switch was made. In the beginning there wasn't even any payment. I say in the beginning because I don't know if they eventually started paying for rental.