Through watching the NCAA basketball tourney and following college sports this year, I noticed some things that need some tweaking.
I am a huge fan of collegiate athletics. College football and basketball is just as exciting if not better than their pro counterparts, but there is always room for improvement.
Here are five suggestions the NCAA should take to strengthen their credibility and get more people behind them.
1. Quit dissing the mid-majors on selection day
How many times do we have to watch great basketball programs get screwed out of an NCAA at-large bid before something gives? Butler goes 25-5 and doesn't get a bid, yet the all-mighty Charlotte 49ers from Conference USA were 18-11 and got a ninth seed. How can this be justified?
Sure, Bowling Green and Butler fail to generate the money big conference schools like St. John's and Charlotte do, but that should not matter. Apparently, though, money is all the NCAA representatives care about.
Small schools get absolutely no respect on selection Sunday. The fans, coaches, players and media all realize this, but the committee could care less. All the committee sees is green.
2. Create more incentive for basketball standouts to stay in school
The popular trend of college athletes leaving early for the NBA worries me. For every Jerry Stackhouse that goes on to become a league phenom, there are three William Averys who sit the bench and struggle to fit into their new hardwood landscapes.
Players who leave after their freshman or sophomore years of college need to look past the dollar signs and realize all they will be leaving behind.
Most are just not mature enough to be successful at the pro level at age 19 or 20.
3. Force CBS to take Billy Packer off their announce team
There is only one thing worse than listening to Billy Packer call an NCAA title game, and that is hearing Bill Walton ramble on during the NBA finals.
Can we get a decent color commentator please?
Packer is good enough to announce the player introductions at a local high school. Just keep him off national television, please. He made more dumb, meaningless comments during the NCAA tournament than imaginable.
4. Throw out the BCS ratings system for football
Fans, radio talk show hosts, television commentators and even coaches from across the nation have criticized this system for the past three or four years.
It seemingly puts Florida State, Florida, Nebraska, Tennessee or Miami (Fla.) in the championship game every year. Big Ten teams have to go undefeated just to get consideration for a title shot.
Furthermore, if you are a good team from a smaller conference that goes 12-0 and are looking for respect, forget about it. The BCS gods will laugh at you.
There is a very simple solution here. It is a little thing called a tournament to decide who gets to play in the championship game. Then we would have an undisputed champion crowned year in and year out.
Don't count on that, though. It does not look like the atrocious ratings system will be revamped anytime soon.
5. Push for more coverage of college baseball on national television
With the amount of television coverage for college football and basketball, you would think baseball would at least get some air time. The only college baseball I have ever seen on the tube is the College World Series on ESPN.
Yeah, I know baseball is not the most exciting sport, but it is America's pastime.
Besides, Major League Baseball is on constantly. Wouldn't it be nice to see some of our future major-leaguers play before they come to the pros?
Then we would not have to see guys for a couple years before we recognize them and be able to pronounce their names correctly.
Write to Pat at pbray@bsu.edu
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