Justin

[muwarrior69]

Yeah I don't see that at all when I watch professional sports when compared to college sports.

Yeah, like taking a guy out after pitching 7 innings of perfect ball.

[Lennys Tap]

College basketball will not have the same problem because the NCAAT is the great equalizer. Teams can still have great and memorable playoff runs without winning the national championship. Also, while the top teams will continue to have the most representation in the later of the rounds of the tournament, it is not a guarantee because in a 6 round single elimination tournament, anything can happen. On any given night, St. Peter's can knock off Kentucky, even though Kentucky is loaded with players making hundreds of thousands in NIL and St. Peter's is lucky if their players' NIL money could pool together to buy them something off the dollar menu.

The NCAA tournament is “the great equalizer” where anything can happen? LOL. 35 tournament since seeding the teams began. 23 #1 seeds have won it all. 5#2s, 4#3s, 1 #4, #6, #7 and #8s. Zero #5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16s. What St Peter’s did (15 seed reaching the E8) has happened once.

Of course in any single elimination tournament there are upsets but when a 1seed wins 64% of the time and a 1,2 or 3 wins it 90% of the time I think it’s fair to say that the very top teams dominate the tournament.

[Uncle Rico]

Yeah, like taking a guy out after pitching 7 innings of perfect ball.

Did you have to change your diapers after that?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

The NCAA tournament is “the great equalizer” where anything can happen? LOL. 35 tournament since seeding the teams began. 23 #1 seeds have won it all. 5#2s, 4#3s, 1 #4, #6, #7 and #8s. Zero #5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16s. What St Peter’s did (15 seed reaching the E8) has happened once.

Of course in any single elimination tournament there are upsets but when a 1seed wins 64% of the time and a 1,2 or 3 wins it 90% of the time I think it’s fair to say that the very top teams dominate the tournament.

Nothing TAMU said is inconsistent with this.

[Lennys Tap]

Yep.

Like you, I choose to be an optimist: NIL will not destroy college basketball; and Marquette will end up doing A-OK, at least as well as we have in the first 45 post-Al years.

If others want to get all doom-and-gloomy about it, that's their right, even if they have no basis for their doom and gloom because there are far too many unanswered questions now.

In the 45 post Al year’s MU has 1 FF, 1 E8 and 3 S16s. That’s A-OK to you, Mike?

[Lennys Tap]

Nothing TAMU said is inconsistent with this.

Untrue. The NCAA tournament is not “the great equalizer”. It’s the tournament of chalk.

[Uncle Rico]

Untrue. The NCAA tournament is not “the great equalizer”. It’s the tournament of chalk.

So, like all college sports then

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Untrue. The NCAA tournament is not “the great equalizer”. It’s the tournament of chalk.

He was comparing it to college football. Theoretically anyone in college basketball can win the tournament.  That's not the case with football.

He also said that memorable runs can happen without winning the tournament.  Which is true.

[MU82]

In the 45 post Al year’s MU has 1 FF, 1 E8 and 3 S16s. That’s A-OK to you, Mike?

I'd like better, Tony, definitely.

I'll amend that to say that I'm optimistic we can get back to at least our 2003-13 level -- 1 FF, 1 E8, 2 S16, tourney just about every year -- and that would be A-OK with me. Though, sure, I'd of course love even better than that. Who wouldn't?

As far as the overarching topic at hand ... until I see evidence otherwise, I'll stick with my belief that NIL won't ruin college basketball. 

[Jockey]

Yeah, like taking a guy out after pitching 7 innings of perfect ball.

Keep pounding on that dead horse. You are asking for a guy who has had injuries in 7 of the last 8 years to keep firing at the beginning of the season after a short Spring training.

Mind boggling.

[NCMUFan]

This argument holds zero weight and is an insult to professional athletes

Boring.

[Jockey]

Boring.

I have noticed - almost universally - that those who say this are not sports fans.

They are simply fans of where they went to college. And that's fine. If you are happy watching lesser athletes with lesser skills, enjoy it.

[NCMUFan]

Fair enough!  Go Golden Eagles!

[TSmith34, Inc.]

It's only GREAT for the game if competitive balance is maintained, and that's not what is happening.

Professional leagues understand this, and that's why we have salary caps, luxury taxes, and drafts that let the worst performers pick first. The pro leagues understand that it's not as entertaining for fans if only a handful of teams can afford to buy their way to championships.

The Premiere league disagrees

[lawdog77]

The Premiere league disagrees

Oh, come on! The Blackburn Rovers won the Championship in 94-95!!!!!

[cheebs09]

In my opinion, the boring comment comes more from the idea the regular season is devalued in pro sports, NBA especially. That results in the load management and the idea guys are coasting.

I think your random Tuesday night NBA games is far higher quality than your typical college game, but the stakes are lower. NFL doesn’t have that issue due to being only 16 games.

However, I think to the general fan, College Basketball is a one month sport. Also, football most teams are out of the championship running before the season starts or shortly into the season.

[Uncle Rico]

Boring.

Honesty often is

[Shooter McGavin]

Yep.

Like you, I choose to be an optimist: NIL will not destroy college basketball; and Marquette will end up doing A-OK, at least as well as we have in the first 45 post-Al years.

If others want to get all doom-and-gloomy about it, that's their right, even if they have no basis for their doom and gloom because there are far too many unanswered questions now.

I think your last sentence is accurate.  We do have too many unanswered questions to really know how it will all play out.  My only concern is other teams poaching our best players yearly.  Because if that happens we won’t get even close to post Al success.  Our best players would leave before that success could be had.

In the first few months of this new age of transferring and NIL we lost Garcia.  In hindsight that was ok based on multiple issues that we don’t need to get into.  But if this were to happen again to Lewis if he doesn’t turn pro, then it will be apparent we are no longer competing for tournament runs.

As you said.  We don’t know yet.  Let’s hope MU steps up.  I would definitely contribute to an NIL fund if it was available.  It might be small change but with large numbers of contributors it would add up in a hurry.

[lawdog77]

I think your last sentence is accurate.  We do have too many unanswered questions to really know how it will all play out.  My only concern is other teams poaching our best players yearly.  Because if that happens we won’t get even close to post Al success.  Our best players would leave before that success could be had.

In the first few months of this new age of transferring and NIL we lost Garcia.  In hindsight that was ok based on multiple issues that we don’t need to get into.  But if this were to happen again to Lewis if he doesn’t turn pro, then it will be apparent we are no longer competing for tournament runs.

As you said.  We don’t know yet.  Let’s hope MU steps up.  I would definitely contribute to an NIL fund if it was available.  It might be small change but with large numbers of contributors it would add up in a hurry.

Someone smarter and with more ambition than me needs to start an NIL collective. Here's a list of other schools having one:

https://businessofcollegesports.com/tracker-university-specific-nil-collectives/

[MU82]

I think your last sentence is accurate.  We do have too many unanswered questions to really know how it will all play out.  My only concern is other teams poaching our best players yearly.  Because if that happens we won’t get even close to post Al success.  Our best players would leave before that success could be had.

In the first few months of this new age of transferring and NIL we lost Garcia.  In hindsight that was ok based on multiple issues that we don’t need to get into.  But if this were to happen again to Lewis if he doesn’t turn pro, then it will be apparent we are no longer competing for tournament runs.

As you said.  We don’t know yet.  Let’s hope MU steps up.  I would definitely contribute to an NIL fund if it was available.  It might be small change but with large numbers of contributors it would add up in a hurry.

We'll see, Shooter!

[Shooter McGavin]

Someone smarter and with more ambition than me needs to start an NIL collective. Here's a list of other schools having one:

https://businessofcollegesports.com/tracker-university-specific-nil-collectives/

100% agree.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

No, it is the going through the motions.  They can get paid all they want.   I am not paying their salary.  If someone wants to pay them and people want to pay tickets, what do I care?

So is your argument that players will stop trying now that they are getting paid?

Are college athletes the only people in the world who aren't motivated by compensation?

[Lennys Tap]

So, like all college sports then

Exactly.

[NCMUFan]

So is your argument that players will stop trying now that they are getting paid? How would I know whether a player will stop trying or not? 

Are college athletes the only people in the world who aren't motivated by compensation?  Again, that is an individual athlete's choice.  I can't answer that question.

Ultimately it is in the control of the fan, if the quality of play is not there, they will be turning their attention to items they are feel are of higher value for them.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Ultimately it is in the control of the fan, if the quality of play is not there, they will be turning their attention to items they are feel are of higher value for them.

OK, but that's always been the case.  I just don't see how NIL changes that.