Is College Basketball Dead?

[Cat in ga]

It pisses me off especially during March that all they talk about on espn is the NFL. They should just join the NFL network. They act like the tournament is irrelevant. There use to be a lot more coverage about the best tournament in sports. Now it's 24/7 coverage about which football player raped, robbed, or assaulted someone. Hell they give more footage to fantasy football. I hope everyone stops watching that's my fantasy. Don't get me wrong I love college football, but could care less about the NFL.

 

[FrankUnderwood]

Here’s what I say:

1) I said “ratings and attendance”, which are two things.

2) attendance is down, period, at NCAA games and especially early tourney games. I don’t need phony attendance figures to know that, because I watch the games. Anyone who has watched the games has 100% seen the empty seats in even premium lowers. Lots of ways to report a “sold out Arena” without asses in the seats.

3) Nielsen Ratings are garbage, especially when they are adding in streams. Stream calculating is an iffy science and many of those streams are hijacked and watched for free. Streams didn’t exist years ago and the tv Ratings were more accurate. Even with that last years game still was a spike on a down graph for viewership, and I expect that had something to do with the matchup (nba powered fan fueled unc vs perineal underdog Gonzaga). Take away the nba power for 3-4 years and see if that game exists.

And let’s not even mention regular season attendance and ratings, even for a megaevent like the PK80 flop...

“Phony attendance figures “ lol

Just admit you were a bit wrong. No worries brother

 

[mbc82584]

“Phony attendance figures “ lol

Just admit you were a bit wrong. No worries brother

Not wrong.

If you have been to NCAAT games you know you get “session passes”, hyper inflates the attendance figures especially on sessions with one “draw” and 3 “duds”.

In regular season games? Lmao. Rupp reports 22k frequently and there are more like 15-16k there. So many open seats esp in bad matchups. Btw, we “lead the nation” in attendance.

Why not reference any of the other points? Loooool.

 

[jc2010]

Not wrong.

If you have been to NCAAT games you know you get “session passes”, hyper inflates the attendance figures especially on sessions with one “draw” and 3 “duds”.

In regular season games? Lmao. Rupp reports 22k frequently and there are more like 15-16k there. So many open seats esp in bad matchups. Btw, we “lead the nation” in attendance.

Why not reference any of the other points? Loooool.

1 good thing about those bad match ups, if you've got a friend with season tickets he just may let you have them for a few of those games

 

[doc morgan]

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.

Too bad some people are so wrapped up in politics that they can't enjoy anything except complaining about the other side.

 

[mbc82584]

Too bad some people are so wrapped up in politics that they can't enjoy anything except complaining about the other side.

Agree to an extent but if you think politics in media has nothing to do with the downfall you’re nuts. When you politicize major sports highlights networks, you create an atmosphere some percentage of fans are uncomfortable with. That has inarguably happened.

 

[EastLansingCat]

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.

And yet another poster on here turning a non political subject political. You keep blaming the "left" for creating problems that have nothing to do with politics. Thanks Obama was a favorite of mine. Thank goodness Donald the Dunce has ruined your chances at controlling the houses of congress and the White House for a loooong time come 2018. Minimum next 3 terms the Dems will have the White House and majority Congress. Hopefully the Dunce's handlers can keep his tiny hands away from the nuclear codes when he wakes up some day and feels like nuking N Korea because Kim calls him dumb the night before on Twitter. I just hope we have a United States to fix starting in 2018.....

 

[blugrazz]

Doesn't have to be replaced.. some people are turning from spectator to participator .
Sports are becoming more irrelevant to people's lives. Only takes a generation (or2)
and your have a major down trend in spectator sports.

This is the only rational conclusion. I swear some of you and your conspiracy theories. People are generally getting off their *** and creating their own sports moments or doing something completely different with the time. They haven't moved onto other sports.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Chalk me in the "technology is a much bigger factor than politics" category.

I know a few late 60's folks who are "boycotting" the NFL.. Yet all three of them barely watch their own teams, let alone other teams.

Technology.. the ease of which to watch a HD game, the overload of information, the cause of short atention span.. that's what is killing these sports.

I also think the NFL has peaked.. they have other issues than politics.. Brain issues, character issues, bad commissioner. The sport just can't get out of it's own way..

 

[OldEvilleCat]

Is college basketball dead....apparently it is at IU!!

 

[morgousky]

Chalk me in the "technology is a much bigger factor than politics" category.

I know a few late 60's folks who are "boycotting" the NFL.. Yet all three of them barely watch their own teams, let alone other teams.

Technology.. the ease of which to watch a HD game, the overload of information, the cause of short atention span.. that's what is killing these sports.

I also think the NFL has peaked.. they have other issues than politics.. Brain issues, character issues, bad commissioner. The sport just can't get out of it's own way..

I know, personally, around 10 people who won't watch the NFL again over the political natured issues. That's just my experience, but I know of many more just like me who claim the same. I will not support the NFL until big changes are made.

Having said that this is a complex issue across all sports. Americans simply do not have the attention span + extra cash in most cases to do it anymore. The dollar simply doesn't go far enough these days. The last decade has been horrible for the middle class, while no one really addessed it. You've essentially got a lower income class where the middle class used to be. Our first semi dose of redistribution.

It's finally taking a toll. When you couple that with the invasion of ideological fanatics, sports are becoming something to let go of.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I know, personally, around 10 people who won't watch the NFL again over the political natured issues. That's just my experience, but I know of many more just like me who claim the same. I will not support the NFL until big changes are made.

Having said that this is a complex issue across all sports. Americans simply do not have the attention span + extra cash in most cases to do it anymore. The dollar simply doesn't go far enough these days. The last decade has been horrible for the middle class, while no one really addessed it. You've essentially got a lower income class where the middle class used to be. Our first semi dose of redistribution.

It's finally taking a toll. When you couple that with the invasion of ideological fanatics, sports are becoming something to let go of.

We agree on politics, for the most part. But I just haven't seen people actually boycotting over this. Then again, I'm in New York.

And I'm sorry, I'm as conservative as they come, but if you won't watch what you love simply because 0.3% of the players kneel for 13 seconds during a segment that we all sit on our asses for.. you need to sack up. We hate snowflakes.. I HATE snowflakes.. but that's a liberal type move, to get THIS whiny over something. I can't believe Repubs get this butt hurt over something so minimal. And honestly.. I don't believe it. I think it's mostly huffing and puffing and the NFL has bigger issues for why people don't watch.

/end rant. I'll go back to my conservative views after this, but I still think this has way more to do with other factors than politics

 

[UKvisitor_rivals101449]

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.

As long as I like it, it will survive. That is meaningful to me.

 

[kevcat]

We agree on politics, for the most part. But I just haven't seen people actually boycotting over this. Then again, I'm in New York.

And I'm sorry, I'm as conservative as they come, but if you won't watch what you love simply because 0.3% of the players kneel for 13 seconds during a segment that we all sit on our asses for.. you need to sack up. We hate snowflakes.. I HATE snowflakes.. but that's a liberal type move, to get THIS whiny over something. I can't believe Repubs get this butt hurt over something so minimal. And honestly.. I don't believe it. I think it's mostly huffing and puffing and the NFL has bigger issues for why people don't watch.

/end rant. I'll go back to my conservative views after this, but I still think this has way more to do with other factors than politics

As usual, you make a lot of well thought out points. These idiots kneeling are not going to persuade the hardcore fans from watching/attending games. I do think it’s had an impact on the casual fans however.

One thing I think most people will agree on, is we want to get politics out of sports completely.

 

[kevcat]

I know, personally, around 10 people who won't watch the NFL again over the political natured issues. That's just my experience, but I know of many more just like me who claim the same. I will not support the NFL until big changes are made.

Having said that this is a complex issue across all sports. Americans simply do not have the attention span + extra cash in most cases to do it anymore. The dollar simply doesn't go far enough these days. The last decade has been horrible for the middle class, while no one really addessed it. You've essentially got a lower income class where the middle class used to be. Our first semi dose of redistribution.

It's finally taking a toll. When you couple that with the invasion of ideological fanatics, sports are becoming something to let go of.

I totally agree with your post.

 

[TankedCat]

CBB is mostly irrelevant to most folks until march.

Even ESPN doesn't care until after the Super Bowl

a couple of points - when you talk about officiating or some other aspect of college basketball where fans are tired of certain programs getting the breaks, you have to include us in that group. We are UK, we get a top 5 recruiting class every year, we are ground zero for the one and dones which many fans believe has hurt the game of college basketball, we're on national television for every game including the plethora of crap games at Rupp and there are no shortage of fans who believe we catch breaks from the refs when playing against their team.

and speaking of one and dones, if it does go away, I think fan attendance and ratings will see a boost, mainly because people will be more engaged with the teams. Most of the fans on here are uber fans but I doubt you could find many fans outside of here that could name every player on our team at the start of the season. The one and dones creates a disconnect that makes it too easy to write them off if we have a down year.

I'm also at a point where I have stuff going on that competes with the 2.5 hours on a Saturday to watch the game. With the DVR and the game streamable somewhere on the internet, I don't always choose to stop what I'm doing to watch them play a Monmouth level team.

 

[KyFaninNC]

We agree on politics, for the most part. But I just haven't seen people actually boycotting over this. Then again, I'm in New York.

And I'm sorry, I'm as conservative as they come, but if you won't watch what you love simply because 0.3% of the players kneel for 13 seconds during a segment that we all sit on our asses for.. you need to sack up. We hate snowflakes.. I HATE snowflakes.. but that's a liberal type move, to get THIS whiny over something. I can't believe Repubs get this butt hurt over something so minimal. And honestly.. I don't believe it. I think it's mostly huffing and puffing and the NFL has bigger issues for why people don't watch.

/end rant. I'll go back to my conservative views after this, but I still think this has way more to do with other factors than politics

I think you are right. I think the kneeling was the last straw, gave people a reason to say to hell with those rich guys making millions and complaining while I am struggling to pay my bills.

 

[KyFaninNC]

Even ESPN doesn't care until after the Super Bowl

a couple of points - when you talk about officiating or some other aspect of college basketball where fans are tired of certain programs getting the breaks, you have to include us in that group. We are UK, we get a top 5 recruiting class every year, we are ground zero for the one and dones which many fans believe has hurt the game of college basketball, we're on national television for every game including the plethora of crap games at Rupp and there are no shortage of fans who believe we catch breaks from the refs when playing against their team.

and speaking of one and dones, if it does go away, I think fan attendance and ratings will see a boost, mainly because people will be more engaged with the teams. Most of the fans on here are uber fans but I doubt you could find many fans outside of here that could name every player on our team at the start of the season. The one and dones creates a disconnect that makes it too easy to write them off if we have a down year.

I'm also at a point where I have stuff going on that competes with the 2.5 hours on a Saturday to watch the game. With the DVR and the game streamable somewhere on the internet, I don't always choose to stop what I'm doing to watch them play a Monmouth level team.

Correct. Old die hard fans always had a connection to the players because we got to watch them over the years. And now?About the time I learn to recognize them on the court, they are gone and a new crop comes in. Which makes me less invested in them.

 

[anon1763419335]

blaming OAD for attendance is example #1 of folks pissed off trying to find anything they dont like and make it a reason for college basketball problems. on average there about 8-10 one and done players. most of which are uk/duke and a few other schools. you really think ole miss fans are like..."i was going to go to the ole miss/xxx game, but because uk has OAD guys i wont". come on

 

[catfanlou]

The tournament alone assures NCAA basketball's survival.

Not if the P 5 secede and have their own tournament . Then the NCAA is DEAD.
The P 5 could even be the P6 in basketball by including the Big East . Would help TV contracts during the year.

 

[Cats78]

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.

I was about to make a sarcastic, mocking post like this about how it's some political left liberal stuff that causes it all... but look, some idiot who's actually serious about it beat me to it.

 

[mossybuck29]

Hell no. I live and die by UK hoops. As long as there are people like me in the world, IT WILL NEVER DIE.

 

[serdi]

As of October 13, 2017...college athletics died. When the NCAA allowed the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill CheatingDeanSmiths to walk from the greatest cheating scandal in the history of college athletics, I have no interest in any college sports other than UK football, basketball, and baseball. I only watch UK. I stream the UK network and have the sound turned down on the television. I have NO interest in what the national talking heads are saying. The positive development is that I have more time to spend with family, to read, and play golf.

 

[kevcat]

I think basketball in general is dead. The NBA is a complete joke. Basically 2-3 teams with a chance.
Bad players, and an awful league. Honestly, I wish the NBA would dissolve.

 

[shutzhund]

I think basketball in general is dead. The NBA is a complete joke. Basically 2-3 teams with a chance.
Bad players, and an awful league. Honestly, I wish the NBA would dissolve.

NFL should go first and then NBA but neither will be missed by me.

 

[kevcat]

NFL should go first and then NBA but neither will be missed by me.

Totally with you.

 

[anon1763419335]

I think basketball in general is dead. The NBA is a complete joke. Basically 2-3 teams with a chance.
Bad players, and an awful league. Honestly, I wish the NBA would dissolve.

people believe what they want to believe. NBA's tv ratings are way up and the NBA is the best its ever been.

 

[kevcat]

people believe what they want to believe. NBA's tv ratings are way up and the NBA is the best its ever been.

The NBA is a complete joke. Don’t kid yourself.

 

[TBCat]

Probably cyclical. Eventually, fans will come back.

Not sure if they come back to the arena. I think attending games is in permanent decline. They'll still watch it on TV though.

 

[anon1763419335]

The NBA is a complete joke. Don’t kid yourself.

if you say so

 

[JDHoss]

people believe what they want to believe. NBA's tv ratings are way up and the NBA is the best its ever been.

Yep...right now it's a far superior product compared to college basketball. Ratings are up, and right now 16 teams are at 95% or better capacity for home games. Even the lowly Hawks with the worst record in the league are at 14K per game. Lots of really good, young, interesting players in the league right now, and the officiating is head and shoulders better than college.

http://adage.com/article/media/nba-ratings/311486/

http://www.espn.com/nba/attendance

 

[kevcat]

Yep...right now it's a far superior product compared to college basketball. Ratings are up, and right now 16 teams are at 95% or better capacity for home games. Even the lowly Hawks with the worst record in the league are at 14K per game. Lots of really good, young, interesting players in the league right now, and the officiating is head and shoulders better than college.

http://adage.com/article/media/nba-ratings/311486/

http://www.espn.com/nba/attendance

Wrong. The league is a pathetic joke.

 

[anon1763419335]

Wrong. The league is a pathetic joke.

solid argument.

 

[jackcarlson]

The NCAAT is the single most exciting annual sporting event on Earth. It has everything one can look for in sports: the exuberance of youth, tradition, pressure, drama, plot twists, rivalries, controversies, agonies and ecstasy. Yes, it may only command the stage for 3 weeks out of every year. But what else does?

 

[FrankUnderwood]

Wrong. The league is a pathetic joke.

@JDHoss is a solid poster and I think he was just pointing out the fact that attendance, TV ratings , memorabilia, Team gear sales etc etc and “popularity” are increasing / on a rise as opposed to “being dead” and or suffering as some on here have insinuated.

Not being combative , that’s just how i took his post

And I have gotten a lot more into the NBA since Cal got here and we have so many VERY good players playing significant minutes and doing incredible
Things (i mean look at Booker, Bledsoe ,KAT, Freaking BOOGIE , AD... John Wall , Etc...)

It’s fun. I follow / watch a lot of
NBA now even if i don’t get as emotionally invested like i do with UK basketball. As a kid I of course loved MJ and the Bulls (what kid didn’t ?) but now i pretty much root for UK guys/ teams and Lebron.

 

[JDHoss]

Wrong. The league is a pathetic joke.

False. You simply don't like it for whatever reason(s), and that's ok. It's extremely poplular though, and the play is superior. I'm currently watching Eric Bledsoe and the Bucks leading the Cavs by 12 in the 3rd quarter. The game is flowing nicely because the refs aren't blowing a freaking whistle every 20 seconds.

 

[JDHoss]

@JDHoss is a solid poster and I think he was just pointing out the fact that attendance, TV ratings , memorabilia, Team gear sales etc etc and “popularity” are increasing / on a rise as opposed to “being dead” and or suffering as some on here have insinuated.

Not being combative , that’s just how i took his post

And I have gotten a lot more into the NBA since Cal got here and we have so many VERY good players playing significant minutes and doing incredible
Things (i mean look at Booker, Bledsoe ,KAT, Freaking BOOGIE , AD... John Wall , Etc...)

It’s fun. I follow / watch a lot of
NBA now even if i don’t get as emotionally invested like i do with UK basketball. As a kid I of course loved MJ and the Bulls (what kid didn’t ?) but now i pretty much root for UK guys/ teams and Lebron.

I was a huge NBA fan as a kid from the mid-late 60's probably through the late 90's or early 2000's. I became more of a casual fan because I thought the game just devolved into a hack fest that was hard to watch. My NBA fandom didn't go much further than checking the box scores for former UK player results.

Then about 3-4 years ago a coworker asked me if I was going to watch the Spurs and Warriors that night. I told him probably not and that I rarely watched NBA basketball, and told him why. He asked me if I would just watch the 1st quarter and let him know what I thought the next day. Well, I watched the first quarter, then the 2nd, and in spite of me having to get up at 4:30 AM for work, I finished the game. Steph Curry was amazing. The ball movement by both teams was amazing. The game went down to the wire with the Warriors winning in the closing seconds. I was hooked. Like you, I don't have the emotional attachment that I do UK, but if there's an interesting NBA matchup on, I'll gladly watch.

 

[specialkd24_rivals116121]

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...

Expect last year's Final Four was the second-most watched in 19 years: http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball...-ncaa-final-four-second-most-watched-19-years

 

[anon1763419335]

False. You simply don't like it for whatever reason(s), and that's ok. It's extremely poplular though, and the play is superior. I'm currently watching Eric Bledsoe and the Bucks leading the Cavs by 12 in the 3rd quarter. The game is flowing nicely because the refs aren't blowing a freaking whistle every 20 seconds.

this game is insane. great stuff.

 

[mbc82584]

Expect last year's Final Four was the second-most watched in 19 years: http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball...-ncaa-final-four-second-most-watched-19-years

Already been addressed. Nielsen is garbage with streaming. See above.