Disagree, Chris. I watched every session and there were exciting games in each one. Final scores don’t tell the full story. Creighton won by double digits but took 2 overtime’s to get there. Auburn missed 3 shots at the buzzer to lose to Yale. Dayton erased a 17-point deficit in 7 minutes to win. Colorado hit a bucket with less than 2 seconds to win after Florida hit a bucket to tie with under 10 seconds. I could go on and on. I’ve been a true CBB fanatic since my teens in the early 80’s, and while I definitely admit it’s different, it’s still a blast and must see TV if you love the sport and not the stars.
The issue with College Sports goes beyond the transfer portal and NIL deals...it's a fundamentally flawed system where the TV networks exert way too much influence. Conference realignments, driven by TV dollars, have caused rivalries to die, geography to be bastardized, and the fan left totally out of the picture.
An expanded field of 68 teams is going to create mismatches and non-compettive games. There were non-competitive games once the tournament expanded beyond 32 teams. I'd rather see players who want to be in school rather than one and done players. If theplayer has talent beyond what is expected of a college player, go forth and make money.
1) Love Kendall Baker's daily newsletter--I've followed him since he was at Axios.
2) There are two (linked) reasons why everything sucks right now--NIL money and the overwhelming dominance of the SEC and Big Ten (in football). Both of these have served to concentrate talent in ever smaller pools. So, yeah, we will see the occasional dark-horse team win a game or two in the tournament (and very rarely, more, as San Diego State did last year), but in the end, we will see the same champions over and over (look at who is thriving in the men's tournament).
Chris, well said. I also remember big Mondays on espn . Great games. I was in Philadelphia in late 80s. Villanova had great big east rivals, temple was good. Plus you got to see many players for there or four years in a row . Even at “mid majors” now that rarely happens.
I'm a diehard Memphis Tigers fan and you hit the nail on the head.
I have no idea who even plays for them anymore, as the whole team just cycles in and out every year. It's dizzying. Memphis always had 1 and done guys like everyone else, but the bond you felt with the team is gone.
Same with conference realignment, who even plays where? The Big 10 and Big 12 don't even have 10 and 12 schools! The ACC is adding schools from the Pacific Coast. One of the Big East's top teams is Creighton, which is in Omaha.
The NCAA was way too resistant to change for too many years and now it's being forced on them, which never ends well. They could've solved all these problems years ago.
Disagree, Chris. I watched every session and there were exciting games in each one. Final scores don’t tell the full story. Creighton won by double digits but took 2 overtime’s to get there. Auburn missed 3 shots at the buzzer to lose to Yale. Dayton erased a 17-point deficit in 7 minutes to win. Colorado hit a bucket with less than 2 seconds to win after Florida hit a bucket to tie with under 10 seconds. I could go on and on. I’ve been a true CBB fanatic since my teens in the early 80’s, and while I definitely admit it’s different, it’s still a blast and must see TV if you love the sport and not the stars.
The issue with College Sports goes beyond the transfer portal and NIL deals...it's a fundamentally flawed system where the TV networks exert way too much influence. Conference realignments, driven by TV dollars, have caused rivalries to die, geography to be bastardized, and the fan left totally out of the picture.
An expanded field of 68 teams is going to create mismatches and non-compettive games. There were non-competitive games once the tournament expanded beyond 32 teams. I'd rather see players who want to be in school rather than one and done players. If theplayer has talent beyond what is expected of a college player, go forth and make money.
1) Love Kendall Baker's daily newsletter--I've followed him since he was at Axios.
2) There are two (linked) reasons why everything sucks right now--NIL money and the overwhelming dominance of the SEC and Big Ten (in football). Both of these have served to concentrate talent in ever smaller pools. So, yeah, we will see the occasional dark-horse team win a game or two in the tournament (and very rarely, more, as San Diego State did last year), but in the end, we will see the same champions over and over (look at who is thriving in the men's tournament).
Chris, well said. I also remember big Mondays on espn . Great games. I was in Philadelphia in late 80s. Villanova had great big east rivals, temple was good. Plus you got to see many players for there or four years in a row . Even at “mid majors” now that rarely happens.
I agree 100%. I also believe that it negatively impacts the NBA. Kids are drafted and played before they’re ready. The NBA play reflects this.
I'm a diehard Memphis Tigers fan and you hit the nail on the head.
I have no idea who even plays for them anymore, as the whole team just cycles in and out every year. It's dizzying. Memphis always had 1 and done guys like everyone else, but the bond you felt with the team is gone.
Same with conference realignment, who even plays where? The Big 10 and Big 12 don't even have 10 and 12 schools! The ACC is adding schools from the Pacific Coast. One of the Big East's top teams is Creighton, which is in Omaha.
The NCAA was way too resistant to change for too many years and now it's being forced on them, which never ends well. They could've solved all these problems years ago.
Exactly! Then add the NIL to the mix! Oh boy, what a mess college athletics has become.