Why do you care?
Do you work for CBS, the NCAA, or a large conference/school? No? Then just enjoy the games.
If you consume any sort of sports media (or if you’re reading this, a blog about college basketball), you’ve probably heard that the Final Four begins this weekend and that it mostly features programs far from the mold of traditional power. Outside of UConn (which probably doesn’t get enough credit as a traditional power), we have three first-timers at the Final Four, from programs as large as “Football-mad powers who periodically forget basketball exists for 3-5 years at a time” to “Had literally never won an NCAA Tournament game before this year.”
(The former is Miami, the latter FAU. In case there was some confusion.)
The logic, here, is that the Powers That Be in the NCAA (this would be The Money and larger leagues) do not like being left out of their traditional place atop the power structure and not reaping the attendant associated financial windfall. Now, I’m sensitive to the fact that Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark gets his best night’s sleep perched atop a pile of $1 bills snuggling his teddy bear filled with gold bullion, but in this instance I think he can take a little melatonin and spread the wealth.
I don’t understand why anyone cares about this. I understand why, given their relative impotence to the proceedings and their access to both reporters and alcohol during the long weekend of schmoozing and the NABC Convention, there have been and will be plenty of off-the-record grousing from coaches and administrators regarding the lack of big-conference glitz to this weekend’s event (which, if you’re UConn and Miami, you have to be taking this a little personally as members of the Big East and ACC). And if that’s the story emanating from the Coaches Convention and/or the NCAA itself, then that’s likely what’s going to be considered news by the people who offer news, especially as the power programs continue to vaguely insinuate breaking away to form their own March tournament and leaving everyone else to their own devices.