With the dawn of the super conference era rising in the western sky, it appears that the sun could be setting on the reign of the NCAA in an ironic turn of backward events.
The NCAA’s recent track record has been a bit shaky. Their almighty hammer of justice nails USC into a 6 year old coffin while others continue to cheat under the boards. They want more “students” and less “athletes” yet they let athletics call the plays. They refuse to fix the defective BCS algorithm, yet they want to mess up the perfect ending to the college basketball season by letting almost everyone in the tournament.
Now by sitting silently they are acknowledging that it really is football, not academics, not any other athletic affair nor even the NCAA themselves, is all that matters. Forget the spirit of competition and rivalry, invite the spirit of avarice.
Sportscasters chatter and sports fans watch eagerly as the NCAA turns a blind eye to the rapacious Big Ten and scheming Pac 10 as they burn and pillage a powerhouse conference for money and football. Some are excited at the thought of new rivalries and new incomes, others are being boxed up and packed away. In the midst of all the warfare, nothing is considered sacred and even the most cherished aspect of sports – the rivalry – is being shelved.
Rivalries are what moved sports out of the YMCA gym and into the mega stadium. Without rivalries sports would never have ascended to these heights. Without rivalries money would not be an issue at all. If rivalries go, will the money stay?
“Tradition” is what college sports were built on, not money, and tradition is made through years of competition. Not that changes can never occur, but changes this drastic should involve planning and structure, not this panic-riddled farce of a “realignment.”
Maybe the Big 12 should dissolve, maybe super conferences are the future. I’m not arguing for or against the Big 12 though personally I’d like it to stay. However, if the future of the super conference is beginning to ignite… the NCAAs future is flickering. If the NCAA is showing right now that they are powerless to the conference committees, what will they do when those conferences gain even more power?
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Tags: Sports
John, as you know me well, and I know you do, I have slowly gotten tired and apathetic toward American sports leagues in general and their quest for power and money. The NHL lockout ended my (small) interest in hockey, baseball’s steroid generation has derailed that interest, and American Football, in general, has become of little to no importance to me. Instead I choose to support those that play for the love of the game, desire to create strong traditional values rooted in fan involvement and self-bread rivalries, and depends on a grass root movement over money marketing to grow the sport. That’s soccer in America. My first love is now my only professional love. So long Big 8 and Big XII rivalries and tradition, it was fun while we were young.
I haven’t let greed ruin the enjoyment of watching what goes on on the field/court. I just wish that college athletics could leave greed well enough alone. But when Texas made 86 million in football alone last year it’s easy to see where the it comes from.
I commend your reasons for enjoying soccer as they maker perfect sense. But you’re not giving up on Jayhawk basketball are you?
Well, it looks like the Big XII survived (see Texas) so I am excited that tradition still has a strong hold on college sports and I will continue to cheer for Kansas Basketball. GO HAWKS! Sorry if it sounded like I was jumping ship before the leaks were fixed, KU basketball will always be a part of me, even if my fanatical supports dwindles, I will always cheer for the Crimson and Blue!
I’m still fanatical! I also think the basketball side of the Big 12 just got much stronger. Gone are the 4 yearly weak sauce Colorado/Nebraska games, in are hopefully much stronger RPI games. I really think we as a league came out winners on this one… though nostalgically I will miss Nebraska.