Monday, January 9, 2012

One way to reform college sports: Turn long-shots into no-shots by creating superconferences

Davidson's Stephen Curry, 2009.
Tampa Bay Times writer Michael Kruse sees the solution for the hypocrisy of college athletics in the creation of four 16-team superconferences, a division of the 64 haves from the world of have-nots.

That would allow schools that can't regularly compete for national championships in football and men's basketball to separate the academic and athletic missions of the institutions.

As Kruse writes:

The creation of superconferences would let all the other schools — nos. 65 to 300-plus in the Division I hierarchy — basically stop trying to keep up with the Joneses and get back to more responsible athletic expenditures in a system that looks more like Division III.

He further contends this would help most schools those outside the athletic elite of his new world focus on their core mission: Educating students. Without this, he suggests, those have-nots will continue throwing good money after bad.

"Big-bucks lightning strikes are college sports' alluring illusion," he writes. "That's all they are. The vast majority of even Division I schools lose money."

Kruse writes and intriguing essay, albeit one that suggests a system that, had it been in place in 2009, would have denied Stephen Curry and Davidson, Kruse's alma mater, a run to the NCAA basketball tournament's  Elite Eight and a moment on the national stage.

But hey, if four superconferences get us a football playoff ...

6 comments:

Ghoul said...

I would be for this, have those 64 teams leave the NCAA, then the NCAA can ban its members from plying them.

Good luck going undefeated without all those creampuffs.

accispathetic said...

With only 64 spots for big league football, the ACC might get Clemson, FSU, VPI & GT in but doubtful any more. The rest can enjoy playing the MAC & Sunbelt.

Anonymous said...

better than this joke of a game tonight. Bama is a poseur, pretender to the throne. At least the BCS is shown as the farce it is with a Bama win!!!!

Anonymous said...

I just want to say that the person above is an example of what is wrong with this world. It makes me want to go jump in a river and eat carp. So upsetting.

Anonymous said...

Some started saying at the last major reallignment in 2003 that eventually it would get to 4 super-conferences of 16 schools each, and those 64 would withdraw from the NCAA and form their own governing body. I think that would be best for everyone. Yes, that would vaporize the Steph Curry / VCU / Butler stories, but at least those outside the Super 64 could have a football playoff and the NIT, which used to be the biggest hoops tournament anyway. The scouts would find the pro prospects in this new organization like they do now.

Anonymous said...

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