Posted on Mar 05, 2013 in Sports
In just a few weeks, college basketball fans will begin finalizing their brackets and posting their predictions online as they gather to watch some of their favorite teams compete in the NCAA’s March Madness Tournament. The 2012 NCAA College Basketball Tournament is the pinnacle of collegiate basketball and the highlight of the regular season. The tournament begins Tuesday March 19 and ends on Monday April 8.
College basketball has lost most of its luster to the powerhouse that has surrounded NCAA Football. K. Thompson/Photographer
Over the years there have been few unknown teams who hail from the middle of nowhere but manage to put everything they have into their tournament run. Take for example the 2012 Duke loss against Lehigh, which is a team that entered the tournament as a No. 15-seed. Lehigh managed to topple Duke despite Duke’s multiple tournament appearances and National championships.
With all of the excitement surrounding the March Madness Tournament, college basketball has been somewhat overshadowed in recent days with discussions of the NFL Scouting Combine results and the upcoming 2013 NFL draft.
College basketball—while wildly popular—has seldom seen the turnout for regular or post-season games that college football generates. The largest Division I basketball programs typically attract 20,000-30,000 fans for nationally televised games while a nationally televised college football game of the same caliber might attract well over 100,000 fans between the stadium and tailgating areas.
Many would argue that College football doesn’t just overshadow College basketball, but that College football is the second most popular sport in the U.S. behind the NFL.
College football traditions and the legacies of many schools maintain a sense of pride and heritage, which have been passed down from generation to generation.
Even on the heals of March Madness college football takes it dominance on local sports talk radio. K. Thompson/ Photographer
There are a number of reasons fans prefer college football over college basketball, but I’m guessing that it is mostly due to the atmosphere. The setting and ambiance created by the game really draws the crowds. College football begins in the fall and the games are usually played on the weekend when many people are off from work. In addition, college football is more physically demanding which means there are fewer games played than in any other collegiate sport.
College football has also been the sport with the most consistent rivalries that have grown over the years and continue to add to the excitement of the season. When you add all of elements together it creates a more festive environment where each game is a HUGE game and there are a limited number of opportunities to join in on the revelry.
Today with social media and the internet as a means of dispensing information, fans are able to connect with their favorite college players and follow their progress and success on and off the playing field. And while many people will be posting clips and pictures from this season’s Sweet Sixteen all the way down to the Final Four, there will be just as many fans tweeting and commenting about the upcoming Pro Day Dates which are scheduled from early March through the beginning of April, where scouts and decision makers from the NFL travel around the country checking out prospects one last time before making their final decisions of who they will pick in the upcoming 2013 NFL draft. So even in the off season college football not only generates just as much fan interest as college basketball, but it also controls the momentum and pace of every other collegiate sports program.
Chase Cole
Senior Staff Writer
chasecole@uab.edu
Source:
http://studentmedia.uab.edu/2013/03/college-basketball-still-being-overshadowed/
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