Remember Saint Peter’s run to the Elite Eight? How about George Mason’s run to the Final Four? How about Butler playing in the national title game a couple of times? I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Those days are over.
Yeah, it’s a new world with the NIL, transfer portal, and realignment, and it’s not putting college sports in a good place.
The SEC flexed its muscles by boasting 14 of its 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament, with seven SEC teams advancing to the Sweet 16 and two SEC teams advancing to the Final Four. St. John’s made the tournament after spending $4 million on NIL money to get players to lead the school to a disappointing finish in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, which it lost to Arkansas.
This illustrates all you have to know. The SEC universities boast money from boosters and donors that can get players to play for their teams. And if the price is not right, the players can transfer elsewhere the following year without consequences. That is ridiculous.
Look, I am all for players being paid. However, when coaches are getting paid more than professors and colleges are exploiting the players, I have reached a paradigm shift regarding the players. But this does not mean players should be changing teams every year.
Mar 17, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; #16 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights forward Ansley Almonor (5) celebrates with guard Joe Munden Jr. (1) in the second half against the #1 Purdue Boilermakers at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
It’s ridiculous that Kadary Richmond and Dre Davis left Seton Hall to play for St. John’s and Ole Miss. All because they were offered more money, which the Hall couldn’t afford to pay. As a result, the Hall’s season was compromised since the team couldn’t replace its two best players, which explains why the team finished 7-25.
That can’t be a situation where guys get to transfer every year because they can get more money elsewhere. There has to be a contract agreement where a player has to serve three years for that team.
Corey Washington parlayed his best season at Saint Peter’s and transferred to Wichita State this season. Saint Peter’s season was compromised, which did not make the NCAA Tournament after a 12-16 season. I asked a Saint Peter’s official why Washington left. He told me the school had no money to pay him to stay.
This is going to be a problem where the rich get richer. The affluent schools will poach players from mid-majors to improve every year. Maybe that’s why Saint Francis decided to transfer from Division I to Division III for the 2026 season. Who needs to deal with this nonsense?
Other schools, such as Saint Peter’s, may follow suit. This means we may see the end of the MAAC, NEC, and other mid-major conferences. How exactly is this a good thing?
The beauty of March Madness was seeing a Cinderella come out. Chronicling Saint Peter’s run to the Elite Eight was one of my best sports moments. It’s something I will never forget in my lifetime.
I fell in love with college basketball when Princeton upset then-national champion UCLA in the NCAA Tournament 1996. Seeing an underdog team grind it out and make it ugly to beat UCLA was something else. Then-Princeton coach Pete Carril somehow coached his team to a victory with the Princeton offense and defending the guards so well.
We all fell in love with upsets, the beauty of March Madness. We did not see it this year, and it’s hard to believe this is great for the game.
The average fan may not even care. They are happy to see the best teams play and get a shot in the tournament. They want to see the best produce first and foremost.
College football is no better. If you are not a powerhouse and don’t have the money, you don’t have a shot at the big boy table. The ratings are excellent, and the league and networks will prosper from it rating-wise, so there’s a case that the current system is working.
That’s why I don’t see the NCAA doing anything to fix the problem. If it’s not broken, why fix it? The mid-major conferences don’t matter to the league since there’s no money. This explains why the league has favored realignment. It’s about creating super conferences with the SEC and Big Ten.
It may look good, but it is hard to watch. I haven’t enjoyed college sports in the last two years. It’s not what it used to be. I don’t see it getting better.
Maybe Division II is for me.
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Cover photo courtesy YouTube
