Change to the NCAA Basketball Schedule

[MU82]

Fun to discuss, I suppose, but I've got only 3 words to add to the discussion:

Not

Gonna

Happen

[GGGG]

Yeah, I kind of always liked the idea of moving it back so that you'd make it May Madness (not April, so a little easier on the alliteration). But the more I think about it, the more I see it would only help the early part of the season and that I'm underestimating the competition of MLB and the NBA playoffs (not the NHL though). I think, instead, the NCAA should focus on how to market the start of college basketball season better as it often gets lost in November. Maybe try to market the Thanksgiving weekend as the true start (because of all the tourneys maybe?).

On another note, the NBA season has no business starting before Christmas. Why do we need 82 games?

The early part of the season is hopeless since the NFL is peaking and college football is heading into conference championships.  People aren't going to pay a lot of attention to college basketball at that point.

March is perfect because after a dead month of February, you have the conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament just before opening day, the Masters, NBA playoffs...

[Dawson Rental]

TV will drive much of this decision

The bottom line. 

Avoiding competition from football would seem to weigh heavily in this.  If it looks like a ratings bump will follow from waiting until football has wound down, then there could be a strong push, I would think.

[Dawson Rental]

April Angst?

Oh, I hope not.

[Dawson Rental]

Nah, just renamed as Winter Solstice Tourneys, hey?

I knew you were a pagan!

[bradley center bat]

I was thinking the same thing.  CBS wouldn't be able to run their "A Tradition Like No Other" ads throughout the entire tournament.

Interesting idea, but I don't like it.  I think they're underestimating how much competition they'd get from MLB and NBA playoffs.  March is a perfect window with no competition for TV viewers right now.

The tournament is not the problem, it's the regular season they are trying to grow.

[GGGG]

The tournament is not the problem, it's the regular season they are trying to grow.

But you are probably going to bleed off more by moving the tournament than you are going to add during the regular season.  Look, college basketball is a flawed product mostly because players don't stick around for four years.  They go pro...they transfer...  And the product is suffering.

To me, another month of regular season college basketball would be nothing more than tedious.

[bradley center bat]

It wouldn't be another month of basketball. You would also be starting a month later. Also, guys have not be staying for 4 years since the days of the fab 5.

[GGGG]

It wouldn't be another month of basketball. You would also be starting a month later.

But I have options in the fall.  (football).  I wouldn't have those options in March. 

I am part of the problem.  I really don't watch a great deal of college basketball unless it is Marquette or its tournament time.  Maybe catch a game or two during the week, but that's about it.  It doesn't really hold my interest.

[bradley center bat]

But I have options in the fall.  (football).  I wouldn't have those options in March.  

I am part of the problem.  I really don't watch a great deal of college basketball unless it is Marquette or its tournament time.  Maybe catch a game or two during the week, but that's about it.  It doesn't really hold my interest.

There trying to get people like you. I think moving it a month later won't get people like you. You either watch it or you don't. Timing won't matter. Media is the problem, as they are terrible at covering basketball.

[HutchwasClutch]

...and all those thanksgiving tournaments would be gone as well. Won't happen I think.

Exactly what I was thinking.  And they're way more prominent than just Thanksgiving week now.  Many probably would be gone if you're waiting until nearly Christmas to start the season, which this idea would do.   Therefore, you're removing a lot of great early season matchups, and a chance for programs to establish their identity, prepare for their conference seasons, and start building their tournament resumes.

Not to mention, going all the way through April, into early May, what other problem is there?  NBA playoffs are in full swing, so postseason tourmanents for conference, NCAA, even NIT to a smaller degree, are competing with that too.  How could the NCAA book many arenas when there are NBA teams that could be playing?  The answer of course is they couldn't.

First, all freshman being ineligible again- galactically stupid idea.  Now this, not as stupid, but not far off either.
What other gems do the powers that be in the NCAA have in their 10 cent brains?  OMG.

[HutchwasClutch]

Right now, college basketball really owns the sports calendar in March and beginning of April.  They draw huge crowds and ratings to the tourmanment games.  Nothing else in the sports world comes close to competing to it.

What does this solve? 

[bradley center bat]

Right now, college basketball really owns the sports calendar in March and beginning of April.  They draw huge crowds and ratings to the tourmanment games.  Nothing else in the sports world comes close to competing to it.

What does this solve?  

There trying to avoid the NFL and college football. I would like to see the season end about one or two weeks later. It's a joke that many schools have their senior day in mid February.

[GGGG]

There trying to avoid the NFL and college football.

Yeah...at the beginning of the year.  The beginning isn't as important as the end.  They are screwing up with the end...where they make their money.  Why would you tailor your schedule to suit the part of your television revenue that is *least* valuable?

[HutchwasClutch]

There trying to avoid the NFL and college football.

So they run into baseball's first month plus, NBA playoffs, The Masters, and other golf tournaments.  Not to mention the NFL Draft which has taken on a life of its own and is now a what, three day event?  And they still compete against all of the major bowl games and NFL playoffs.

Now tell me again please what this solves?

[bradley center bat]

Yeah...at the beginning of the year.  The beginning isn't as important as the end.  They are screwing up with the end...where they make their money.  Why would you tailor your schedule to suit the part of your television revenue that is *least* valuable?

As you said they are trying to get people like you.

[HutchwasClutch]

It's a joke that many schools have their senior day in mid February.

I don't know what schools, even the small ones, have a mid- February senior day, but even if a few do, SOOOOOOOOOO????

[bradley center bat]

So they run into baseball's first month plus, NBA playoffs, The Masters, and other golf tournaments.  Not to mention the NFL Draft which has taken on a life of its own and is now a what, three day event?  And they still compete against all of the major bowl games and NFL playoffs.

Now tell me again please what this solves?

How about one week?

[HutchwasClutch]

So everyone who's throwing in with this, you realize, Madison Square Garden likely loses the Big East Tournament by playing about mid April  with this idea? 

[bradley center bat]

I don't know what schools, even the small ones, have a mid- February senior day, but even if a few do, SOOOOOOOOOO????

The mid to low majors do. The Atlantic Sun, Patroit League, Horizon League conference tournaments all started today.

[HutchwasClutch]

How about one week?

I don't know what your question means?

[HutchwasClutch]

The mid to low majors do. The Atlantic Sun, Patroit League, Horizon League conference tournaments all started today.

OK, their senior days wouldn't have been middle of last month though.  That statement implies home schedules are done by Valentine's Day.  That just isn't true, anywhere that I know or have heard.

[GGGG]

As you said they are trying to get people like you.

But they already have me when its most important...in March.  They have everyone in March.

So they think I'm going to watch more regular season in March, but still keep watching in April when a bunch of other conflicts develop?  Good luck.  You do not want to run up against the NBA playoffs and the beginning of MLB.

[bradley center bat]

I don't know what your question means?

I would like to see the college basketball season to end one week later. So, the Final Four would be the second weekend in April. That's all.

[bradley center bat]

OK, their senior days wouldn't have been middle of last month though.  That statement implies home schedules are done by Valentine's Day.  That just isn't true, anywhere that I know or have heard.

That's right, there is only 28 days in the month of February. UWM had there senior day on February 20th.