In the most recent issue of ESPN the Magazine, the sports network ranked every team in the four major leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) in eight key areas. The magazine called its results "The Ultimate Standings."
The categories were: bang for the buck - revenue from fans divided by wins; fan relations - ease of access to players, coaches and management; ownership's honesty and loyalty to the city; affordability of tickets, parking and concessions; stadium experience - friendliness of environment and quality of game day promotions; effort and likability of players; leadership of coach/manager and championships.
Indianapolis fared well in the standings. The Pacers were 12th and the Colts 50th, giving Indianapolis the second-highest average ranking of its pro teams, behind Philadelphia.
This got me thinking, "I wonder how Ball State would do if The Ultimate Standings were applied to colleges." Since the task of ranking the thousands of college sports programs nationwide would be too large a task for ESPN, I've decided to take the trouble myself and give you Ball State's Ultimate Standing.
Since Ball State is the only school I've attended, and I've only visited a handful of other campuses, I wasn't able to compare our university to others. Instead, I ranked Ball State on a scale of one to 10 in the eight categories and averaged the numbers for an overall ranking. I used the four major sports ESPN used, minus hockey, because we have no hockey team. However, I did throw softball and women's basketball into the rankings.
Bang for the Buck: 10. The five teams I considered had a record of 83-67 during the past year. That's a .553 winning percentage, which is nothing phenomenal. However, since every sporting event at Ball State is free, every win is a bonus.
Fan Relations: 10. Coaches are easy to get ahold of because most have offices in the Human Performance building and university phone numbers. Athletic director Bubba Cunningham and assistant director of athletics communication Chris Taylor are also just a phone call away. Plus, the athletes are in the very same classes as the average Joe Student.
Ownership: 7. The term "ownership" here applies to the athletics department. While the department is not specifically focused on students, it remains loyal and fan-friendly. I have no complaints, but I have no praise either, which probably means Ball State athletics should be doing more for the students.
Affordability: 8. Though the games are free, some might argue that we pay thousands of dollars in tuition to support athletics. We also get an education, computer labs, a library and recreation facilities with that money, so it's a pretty good deal. The only think that irks me is paying $4 at football games to park in a field where we can't tailgate.
Stadium Experience: 6. Ball State homes games are a catch-22. The games aren't fun because no one goes. No one goes because the games aren't fun. The athletic department has tried various contests and halftime games to draw a crowd, but it's just not enough. Excluding the men's basketball games against Butler last year and IU this year, I don't know of any recent times Ball State has sold.
Players: 8. While our athletes may not be All-Americans, they put forth a genuine effort. We should consider ourselves lucky in this day of scandals and deception in college sports. Ball State hasn't had any players accept money from boosters or steal shoes from the Muncie mall. Most of our athletes are good kids.
Coaches/Managers: 6. The Cardinals lose points here for lack of experience. Of the five coaches, softball head coach Terri Laux is the most experienced with six seasons. Two coaches, football head coach Brady Hoke and baseball head coach Greg Beals, haven't even begun their first season yet. As the coaches gain experience and begin to recruit their own players, their score will go up.
Championships: 0. Here's where Ball State can't compete with the big-name college programs. Our teams have accomplished some great things - MAC championships, players of the year, NCAA tournament appearances - but no championships. Until those titles come, our sports program will continue to be viewed as mediocre, even if it's not.
Average the eight scores and that gives Ball State an Ultimate Standing of 6.875. In classroom terms, that's a "D." All hope is not lost, however. All the athletics department needs to do is spice up the home games and wait for the coaches to gain experience and Ball State will be competing with the Dukes and the UCLAs of college sports.
Write to Adam at acfisher@bsu.edu
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