Is College Basketball Dead?

[mbc82584]

Legitimate discussion. Here are my points:

1) Ratings and attendance have plummeted across the country, even with ticket prices dropping and upgrades to arenas.

2) Scandals have abounded. From Adidas, to strippers, to academic scandals, to a slew of other things, does anyone really believe the sport is pure anymore? Further, does anyone believe there is a governing body who can enforce some sort of unbiased order?

3) One and done is about to become none and done. If you remove the ultra premium players in this already devastating climate, where does the sport go?

4) The NBA has been sinking brand and brain equity into their “g-league”...if that continues, what happens to the already cashed strapped, scandal ridden, talent depleted college leagues?

Obviously Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, and a couple others have die hard college fans, but mostly no one cares about the sport anymore.

With everything going on, can CBB survive in any meaningful way?

Sad.

 

[SemperFiCat]

The tournament alone assures NCAA basketball's survival.

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

Probably cyclical. Eventually, fans will come back.

 

[mbc82584]

Probably cyclical. Eventually, fans will come back.

You are rIght via current contracts, but attendance to tourney games has been TERRIBLE and even final four viewership is down. If it continues on that trend the money is gonna go, and then...

 

[IUfanBorden]

The tournament alone assures NCAA basketball's survival.

This. Folks will forget the scandals, the OAD ending. March Madness is on a stage of it's own. Plus with schools such as UK, IU, KU, etc, etc...who have tremendous fan bases, CBB will always be fine.

 

[mbc82584]

This. Folks will forget the scandals, the OAD ending. March Madness is on a stage of it's own. Plus with schools such as UK, IU, KU, etc, etc...who have tremendous fan bases, CBB will always be fine.

The attendance and ratings for March madness suggest different.

 

[IUfanBorden]

The attendance and ratings for March madness suggest different.

Last years tourney was the 2nd most watched in 23 years. LAst year, up to the Final Four, the tourney was averaging 10.4 million viewers; Up 14% from the year before, and the second highest average since 1993.

It's doing just fine.

 

[morgousky]

Attendance during the tournament is fine. I'm 31, and I've already lived through different sports going from popular to unpopular quickly and vice versa. Things are changing, but everything will be fine.

I think I read where the final four was the second most watched sporting event several years recently. There is far too much money to he made for it to totally crash.

Contrary to the fear mongering, there's no way the G league grows into crazy popularity. It'll just be the minor leagues, not many will care in the end.

The brand could actually improve imo. You might miss some but the game will still produce some great players. You'd still have some great players luck the degree route or 2 and done.

 

[uky8unc5]

Predicting doom of CBB is illogical. What would replace it in Jan..Feb..Mar?
Hockey? Tennis? Golf? Soccer? Ping Pong?
As stated above, March Madness and Bracketology = CBB is doing just fine.

 

[Pizza Slice]

I don't think it's possible for it to die. If there was no college basketball where would all the players not in the top 100 go play? Sure the top 30-45 ish go to the NBA and then the rest fill up the G League. Overseas? Yeah a possibility but what 17-18 year old kid straight out of high school wants to leave everything they've ever known behind. Not to mention they're not even the cream of the crop and will need development something oversea teams really don't like doing. (waiting)

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

Predicting doom of CBB is illogical. What would replace it in Jan..Feb..Mar?
Hockey? Tennis? Golf? Soccer? Ping Pong?
As stated above, March Madness and Bracketology = CBB is doing just fine.

Well, there is biathlon and sled dog competition, possibly ice fishing tournaments

But I agree, if for no other reason, CBB will not disappear because of revenue and potential revenue. Any perceived decline in popularity of the sport will be corrected, possibly with some lag time.

 

[Cawood86_rivals]

It survived the 70s and 80s when games were hardly on TV. The tourney was not as popular or marketed like it is today.
If the NFL and NBA can survive their scandals and issues and college football, I the college basketball will survive this scandal.

 

[Xception]

I haven’t watched any games so far, when the governing body of a sport is corrupt it seems like a waste of time.

 

[Whatsup]

Don't forget Fart Sniffing or Farting as a sport. Both had great ratings on the poop channel last year in February.

 

[Saven]

If the officiating and bias from NCAA towards certain schools continues the way it does, then yes.

 

[mjj_2K]

It survived the 70s and 80s when games were hardly on TV. The tourney was not as popular or marketed like it is today.
If the NFL and NBA can survive their scandals and issues and college football, I the college basketball will survive this scandal.

Of course it will "survive", but in what form?

Is it going to get to the point where it's like college baseball? I mean, when you watch a MLB game, there are a lot of guys who played college baseball. But when you think about MLB players, where they played in college isn't even a consideration. You don't look at Aaron Judge and think "Fresno State". Most fans don't know or care about that.

Basketball has the advantage of its history, and the fact that the tournament is wildly popular. But the fewer elite talents there are in the college game, the more it's going to be a 1 month sport for the vast majority of people.

College basketball always had regional pockets of popularity, but the real expansion of the game came with growing interest in the pro game. These were the best young players on the planet, thus the guys who were going to make the most impact as professionals. Why was the Magic/Bird 79 final such a big deal? Was it because people cared about Michigan State and Indiana State? Hell no. It was because you had 2 charismatic stars who were clearly potentially great pros for the next decade.

Sever the connection between the NBA and the college games, and you have problems (that you're already seeing). Yeah, March Madness will be around, and popular, and yeah, there will still be areas where college basketball matters (though less than 50-60 years ago, simply because "local" means less in the modern world), but it will be a greatly reduced thing.

 

[KyFaninNC]

If the officiating and bias from NCAA towards certain schools continues the way it does, then yes.

I was about to post this. To the casual viewer, it appears the deck is stacked each year to favor certain teams. The officiating is horrible.

 

[Bluest Member]

People are sick of the left spewing their politics in sporting events,over-paid professional players disrespecting Our Country,Our Flag,Our Anthem,and Our Veterans which seems to be trickling down to collegiate,High School, and lower sporting events.Look at attendance to NFL games,until these players that get rich playing a game learn to respect all of the above then Americans are not going to support them or their far left indoctrination.

 

[Blueaz]

Attendance during the tournament is fine. I'm 31, and I've already lived through different sports going from popular to unpopular quickly and vice versa. Things are changing, but everything will be fine.

I think I read where the final four was the second most watched sporting event several years recently. There is far too much money to he made for it to totally crash.

Contrary to the fear mongering, there's no way the G league grows into crazy popularity. It'll just be the minor leagues, not many will care in the end.

The brand could actually improve imo. You might miss some but the game will still produce some great players. You'd still have some great players luck the degree route or 2 and done.

Agree. No one will watch the G league. College basketball will get watered down a little (for a while)...eventually some of the great young players will not want G league. They will realize they will make similar money and be a more well rounded individual, by having the college experience. Jmo

 

[TopCatCal]

You are rIght via current contracts, but attendance to tourney games has been TERRIBLE and even final four viewership is down. If it continues on that trend the money is gonna go, and then...

When you've got crooked, dishonest refs like Joan Higgins & you've got a dirty program like North Carolina. And the NCAA does nothing to them over it. Well that's a major turn off to a lot of fans. It's like boxing, it got so dirty & dishonest that it ruined itself.

 

[anon1763419335]

CBB is mostly irrelevant to most folks until march.

 

[Calsthebomb]

If college basketball dies then I die with it

 

[jwheat]

Hopefully the ticket prices keep going down though

 

[JDHoss]

CBB is mostly irrelevant to most folks until march.

Yep....been that way for several years. We as UK fans living in our own Big Blue World just haven't noticed it for the most part. For the majority of the country, CBB has devolved into a 4 week sport that begins in March.

 

[dnabbott25]

sports attendance in general is all over the board this year. NFL included which has always had a very dedicated fan base. Its hard to say why, maybe a generational thing, maybe financial and pricing. I really think since college basketball conferences got their own networks, ie the SEC network it has changed the marketing, etc. The scheduling sucks. You dont get those Saturday BIG GAME feals like their used to be on a Saturday on CBS you might get Kentucky Louisville at Noon, Duke UNC at 3, so on. It just feels like the big games are scattered out, and on random times like Friday at 8, Sunday at 4.
Perfect example, the Kentucky v Louisville game is on this FRIDAY at 1:00 in the afternoon !!!!!!!!!

 

[Tannerdad]

No

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

Selective/corrupt enforcement from the NCAA and horrific/corrupt officiating are the main causes imo.

The system is rigged. Fans caught on and are losing interest. Just like boxing before it.

UNC loss last year was perfect example. Never should've been allowed to play. And officiating completely dictated the outcome in their favor.

 

[Shlomo]

I don't think it is just basketball. There have been a lot of empty seats in college football stadiums this past year too.

 

[jedwar]

CBB is mostly irrelevant to most folks until march.

I was going to post this. The tournament has gotten so big and so great that the regular season is now blah. The first two days of the tourney are the best. Most casual fans now just wait for the big event to care or get excited.

 

[JStaff21]

Selective/corrupt enforcement from the NCAA and horrific/corrupt officiating are the main causes imo.

The system is rigged. Fans caught on and are losing interest. Just like boxing before it.

UNC loss last year was perfect example. Never should've been allowed to play. And officiating completely dictated the outcome in their favor.

This. Everyone knows schools do shady things to get recruits. The scandals may have been bigger than a lot of us thought but we knew some form of shenanigans were taking place.

But preselected champs? I don’t want to watch a tourney where the outcome is rigged... and that would include watching UK get handed a trophy on a bunch of bogus calls.

 

[awf]

Well, there is biathlon and sled dog competition, possibly ice fishing tournaments

But I agree, if for no other reason, CBB will not disappear because of revenue and potential revenue. Any perceived decline in popularity of the sport will be corrected, possibly with some lag time.

Don't forget Curling....that sport has me on the edge of my seat every time I watch them sweeping the ice.....!!

 

[JoeBeeHall]

I believe if sports are in danger, it could be football and boxing. The concussion issues and life altering injuries are not a healthy lifestyle .

 

[bthaunert]

It will never be what it once was. The shift in talent over the past 20-25 years has really hurt the game imo. As others have noted, March will always be owned by College Basketball. That will never change. I can't remember the last time I watched a college game that was not a UK game and not a tournament game. That is a major shift for me.

 

[Cat_Incognito]

Don't think it's dead, but I do believe the NCAA's days are numbered, as the scandals continue to pile up.

I also think March is rigged. Never felt that way until UNC last season. Would love to see the FBI investigate the NCAA.

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

Don't think it's dead, but I do believe the NCAA's days are numbered, as the scandals continue to pile up.

I also think March is rigged. Never felt that way until UNC last season. Would love to see the FBI investigate the NCAA.

Think about this:

Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that Duke will have the easiest path of anyone? It's been that way for at least 15 years. So statistically, this is well beyond being anomalies.

This in addition to having two players that shouldn't even be eligible, including Bagley.

 

[sambowieshin_rivals]

It is a rigged system but I still love my Cats and will continue watching but not dropping my dime on it.

 

[jedwar]

I might add that fans are getting sick and tired of the rampant incompetence of officials, referees and corrupt/biased governing bodies.

Horn beating Manny was outright robbery. NFL. NCAA. Games/contests are in the hands of biased jerks and or incompetent fools and governing bodies. It gets old and it ruins the essence of competition.

 

[JamesLee]

The scandals are definitely a problem. The NCAA had a chance to take a stand with UNC and show that the patients aren't running the asylum. But instead they chose to allow UNC to decide that they would rather be known as a basketball program with sham academics than a prestigious university which it was once considered. They can still throw the book at u6, give them whatever would be considered the present day death penalty. u6 isn't a blue blood and is a commuter school far from the word "prestigious" but given the national attention they've received lately and being able to pull down their phony banner, I think that would quiet a good amount of the critics.

Selfishly and biased I wish they'd go to a 2 year rule. Thinking about Cal coaching a sophomore Karl, Wall, Davis....unreal. But financially it makes sense for the NBA to start pushing their G-League and remove the 1 year rule. It's a business and they don't care about these kids' futures. The minimum wage for the G-League is like $19k for a six month season. 99/100 kids would take that over having to go to school for a year and not get paid. It's also a more direct connection with the NBA to potentially fast track their career.

Anyone who has been in Vegas during March Madness knows two things. First, college basketball isn't going anywhere. The tournament alone brings in millions in more ways than one. Second, yeah, it's probably rigged. I don't mean that in an emotionally driven, bunch of ACC homers in a room working the controls to screw UK. But as far as point spreads affecting the way a game is officiated. For such a ridiculous tournament there are too many times that games come down to a last possession, not necessarily for the win but to hit the o/u.

Attendance is down across the board in pretty much all sports aside from college football. I saw a breakdown either here or on Twitter that the price of having season tickets and attending every game for an NFL team, including food, parking, tickets and everything else was the equivalent to a round trip to Ireland. Political bs aside as far as why people are boycotting the NFL, why go through such a hassle to attend a game live when you can invest in a 60 inch high def and sit on your own couch?

 

[ThwKentuckyKid]

I've lost my passion, I hate it. I only get excited for March. I would never miss a game in the past, game-day was a holiday for me, I've only watched two games this year. I wish I knew why, but apparently I'm not the only one. SOMEONE HELP ME!

 

[Pope John Wall II]

I was about to post this. To the casual viewer, it appears the deck is stacked each year to favor certain teams. The officiating is horrible.

To the casual fan? ****, it's never been more apparent for me and I assume everyone else here.