Low tournament TV ratings signal
bleak future for college basketball
This year's NCAA tournament was one of the most
exciting in recent memory. So exciting that, ESPN has
already proclaimed three of the games to be "instant clas
sics": a UNC-Wilmington/Maryland game featuring Drew
Nicholas' last second 3-pointer, the double overtime thriller
between Arizona and Gonzaga, and the Kansas/Syracuse
championship game-. These are the games that all college
basketball fans want to watch.
And that is precisely what is so disturbing
about the tournament's decreased television ratings.
Despite the tournament's plethora of exciting games,
ratings were down 16 percent from last year, and were
the lowest since CBS began broadcasting the games in
1982. And no, it wasn't because Greg Gumbel is
almost unbearable to listen to
It's because college basketball has a serious
problem retaining and recruiting star players. Even
with Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and T.J. Ford in
the mix, the young talent in basketball is going right to
the NBA as soon as they can. And nobody blames them. There aren't too many
people who will pass up a multi-million dollar contract for an education and no
paycheck.
Consequently, the talent pool of NCAA is diluted and lacks depth to the
extent that the idea of paying college players has been debated. As absurd as it
sounds, that's how serious the situation is. This won't happen, however, because
the NCAA knows that this would only further diminish the appeal of its amateur
status (some already question whether NCAA Division 1 football and basketball
are truly amateur sports).
Pete Strella offers proof of our staff'e dedication, taking
an extended nap between lengthy editing sessions
BY PETE STRELLA
Assistant Layout Editor
Photo by Stacy
There seems to be no solution. Even allowing players drafted by NBA
teams to participate in the NCAA for a time wouldn't work. The fact that the
player would receive a signing bonus takes away from the amateur atmosphere.
Also, it would set up the NCAA as simply a minor league to profession
al basketball, which it is not. NCAA tournament ratings outdraw the NBA finals
on a regular basis.
The NCAA tournament's unpredictability and excitement will always
appeal to the American television audience, but college basketball needs star
players to uphold its tournament's coveted status.
For example, Syracuse freshman Carmelo
Anthony put forth a legendary effort in this year's
tournament and has every reason to declare eligibility
for this year's NBA draft. But college basketball
needs him around for one or two more years.
There's a slippery slope at work. College
basketball players used to stay for three to four years.
Now it's one or two if they're lucky. It could end up
where all top recruits avoid college basketball com
pletely.
College basketball fans need players whom
they know will make it to the next level. And though
there will always be high school players that slip under the professional radar
and into the college ranks, the NCAA needs them to be around for more than
two years.
It's true that war coverage has held much of our nations' attention in the
past weeks, which is most likely a big factor for lower college basketball ratings.
But the scary part is that NASCAR ratings over the same time span dropped by
less than half, and were down only one point from the NCAA semi-final games.
Since I expect that our country will not be at war by next March, time
will tell if the NCAA TV ratings will return to it's normal level. But I see many
problems for NCAA basketball in the near future.