"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" - The Rivalry Thread

[Applejack]

This is probably due to the fact that I cheer for a school that shuttered its basketball program five years ago, but I have to agree with Funk. Yes, brain injuries are a BIG problem in football, but I agree that college hoops is down. I think a big part of that trend is the use of "minor leagues": G-league (or whatever it's called now), Europe, etc; if you want to get paid playing ball and don't want to have to do school, you can do it. I see college hoops slowly morphing into college baseball; it's fun, but the players, in general, are not playing in the pros. Personally, college hoops is my true love (as it is for any true Utah fan) so this pains for me to say.

Football has one huge advantage in this regard: there is nowhere to go EXCEPT college if you want to make the pros. So as long as they are still playing pro football, they are still going to play high level college football.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Really interesting coping strategy you guys are using. Good luck with that.

[Eddie]

It will be interesting to see the NIL impact on college ball. What would've happened with the "Big Ballers" if Daddy Ball had the ability to seek out various sponsors for his boys while they played in college? I'm not so sure they would've ended up playing in...where was it...Lithuania?

See - I suppose there is still some expectation of attending classes to a certain degree. But now that college players CAN get paid like professionals to play? That's a potential game changer.

[Clark Addison]

If I accidently wandered into the Huntsman center during a game, I would totally assume basketball was a dying sport, so I 100% understand Funk's and AJ's POV.

[MartyFunkhouser]

This is probably due to the fact that I cheer for a school that shuttered its basketball program five years ago, but I have to agree with Funk. Yes, brain injuries are a BIG problem in football, but I agree that college hoops is down. I think a big part of that trend is the use of "minor leagues": G-league (or whatever it's called now), Europe, etc; if you want to get paid playing ball and don't want to have to do school, you can do it. I see college hoops slowly morphing into college baseball; it's fun, but the players, in general, are not playing in the pros. Personally, college hoops is my true love (as it is for any true Utah fan) so this pains for me to say.

Football has one huge advantage in this regard: there is nowhere to go EXCEPT college if you want to make the pros. So as long as they are still playing pro football, they are still going to play high level college football.

This exactly how I feel about college hoops. It is a dead sport and it isn't a coping mechanism, it is reality. It has been a slow death knell since the 90s. I even fought against this concept in the past because I loved the sport, but it is true. The vast majority of people don't give a shit until the tournament, and even that is dying.

I wish I was wrong. I'm not wrong.

[Jeff Lebowski]

NCAA basketball has experienced a modest decline in average attendance for 9-10 years now:

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2022/Attend.pdf

Interestingly, total numbers are relatively flat, but average attendance slips by 50-150 fans per year. Also interesting to see that the number of D1 teams has increased from 235 in 1976 to 350 now! Too many little schools dragging us down.

B-ball trend for last few years is the same thing happening in football. But the money keeps going up and up and up. I think part of the attendance dynamic is far more viewing/streaming options than there used to be.

tl;dr summary: I have zero worries about college basketball dying anytime soon.

[Jeff Lebowski]

This exactly how I feel about college hoops. It is a dead sport and it isn't a coping mechanism, it is reality. It has been a slow death knell since the 90s. I even fought against this concept in the past because I loved the sport, but it is true. The vast majority of people don't give a shit until the tournament, and even that is dying.

I wish I was wrong. I'm not wrong.

Lol. You are wrong.

[beefytee]

This is probably due to the fact that I cheer for a school that shuttered its basketball program five years ago, but I have to agree with Funk. Yes, brain injuries are a BIG problem in football, but I agree that college hoops is down. I think a big part of that trend is the use of "minor leagues": G-league (or whatever it's called now), Europe, etc; if you want to get paid playing ball and don't want to have to do school, you can do it. I see college hoops slowly morphing into college baseball; it's fun, but the players, in general, are not playing in the pros. Personally, college hoops is my true love (as it is for any true Utah fan) so this pains for me to say.

Football has one huge advantage in this regard: there is nowhere to go EXCEPT college if you want to make the pros. So as long as they are still playing pro football, they are still going to play high level college football.

I assume you are referring to the new G-Leaguge pathways program where a player can make $300,000 out of high school.

Making money for the superstars isn't going to be an issue going forward though in college.

Report: Top N.C. basketball recruit Mikey Williams could make $2.6 million off NIL deals (yahoo.com)

Players who don't want to go to college aren't going to go to college and haven't for decades.

[MartyFunkhouser]

It will be interesting to see the NIL impact on college ball. What would've happened with the "Big Ballers" if Daddy Ball had the ability to seek out various sponsors for his boys while they played in college? I'm not so sure they would've ended up playing in...where was it...Lithuania?

See - I suppose there is still some expectation of attending classes to a certain degree. But now that college players CAN get paid like professionals to play? That's a potential game changer.

The NBA threw college basketball a bone and tried to keep it alive as a minor league by requiring players play for a year. If it wasn't for that, it would already be dead. Now the NBA has pulled that back my starting to make the G-League its minor league. The more the NBA invests into the G-league, which is what it should do, the less the NCAA continues to exist as a minor league for the NBA.

In contrast, college football is not going to die because the NFL wants college football to continue as its minor league.

[Applejack]

If I accidently wandered into the Huntsman center during a game, I would totally assume basketball was a dying sport, so I 100% understand Funk's and AJ's POV.

Worse, you could accidentally wander into Utah basketball highlights! The horrors!!!!!

[beefytee]

Thread title checks out for this discussion.

[Applejack]

NCAA basketball has experienced a modest decline in average attendance for 9-10 years now:

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2022/Attend.pdf

Interestingly, total numbers are relatively flat, but average attendance slips by 50-150 fans per year. Also interesting to see that the number of D1 teams has increased from 235 in 1976 to 350 now! Too many little schools dragging us down.

B-ball trend for last few years is the same thing happening in football. But the money keeps going up and up and up. I think part of the attendance dynamic is far more viewing/streaming options than there used to be.

tl;dr summary: I have zero worries about college basketball dying anytime soon.

Yeah, the attendance has been on a steady decline, but so has college (and pro) football. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future. My money is on football growing in popularity with the big caveat that we are cheering on young men for putting their brains at risk. If we ever wake up to that fact, all bets are off.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Yeah, the attendance has been on a steady decline, but so has college (and pro) football. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future. My money is on football growing in popularity with the big caveat that we are cheering on young men for putting their brains at risk. If we ever wake up to that fact, all bets are off.

Yeah, I think football has the bigger question mark due to CTE. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[Clark Addison]

I have to apologize to the Ute fans for what I said about the Huntsman center. I was reminded yesterday that it really can be a special place with a ton of energy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eiTc9O9Ii8

[Jeff Lebowski]

I have to apologize to the Ute fans for what I said about the Huntsman center. I was reminded yesterday that it really can be a special place with a ton of energy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eiTc9O9Ii8

Maybe my favorite all-time youtube clip.

The way he walks off like a stone-cold assassin still gives me chills.