I cant imagine the NCAA tournament being in April; “April Madness” doesn’t have the same excitement that we have come to love.
According to 247 Sports, NCAA Officials are looking to push back the start of college basketball by one month. John Wilner of Mercury News spoke to NCAA Men’s Basketball VP, Dan Gavitt, on moving the season and says “There are merits on a lot of levels”:
Gavitt indicated the idea is gaining support, although quantifying that support without a formal survey or vote is difficult. And it has been proposed elsewhere, mostly notably last spring by Pac-12 deputy commissioner Jamie Zaninovich.
For those unfamiliar, here’s how it would work:
Start the season in mid-December, after first semester exams and during the lull between college football regular season and the bowl season. The weekend of the Heisman Trophy ceremony is the ideal time for a grand opening weekend that would generate momentum through the holidays.
But the season cannot be condensed because of student-athlete welfare issues, so starting one month later means ending one month later.
Conference play would commence after the Super Bowl, allowing more than 50 percent of the season to take place out of football’s long shadow.
The NCAA Tournament would move to late April or early May, which is the most radical aspect of the idea.
Granted, that’s a significant obstacle to moving the NCAAs back one month, but it’s by no means insurmountable if all the relevant parties believe a calendar change is in the best interest of the game.
College basketball is a big market. Whenever they start the season, fans will be ready. College basketball is an age old tradition with deep rivalries; fandom will never cease.
Do you guys like the idea of a late College Basketball start?