Reags Blog Was Right...Additionally: Here's Some Other Things College Basketball Needs To Do Via Scheduling
Reags is dead on correct when he rights about the 24 hour marathon needing to be brought back. I remember distinctly when i watched the first ones in college. Wake up to piss at 4am and turn on two random ass west coast teams while getting a cut away to the kids camped out for Princeton Iona 6am tip. Then some years all leading up to the Champions Classic. It was terrific. A truly terrific idea and makes me wonder why they ever got rid of it.
With the spirit of College Hoops in the air, here's a few other things they should be doing during the season to make the most perfect sport in the world even more perfect.
- Have MTE's during Christmas Week
How awesome is the Maui? How terrific is the Paradise Jam? How awesome is feast week? I'll tell you it's fantastic. Absolutely without a doubt the best non conference games take place during Thanksgiving week and weekend. It's the best. It complements the football fantastically. Every where you look there's sports, it's awesome.
Now Imagine if this was going on during Christmas week. You're sitting around wrapping presents or hungover and flipping between bowl games and an MTE in the Bahamas of a loaded double header. Sounds terrific. I understand kids need a Christmas Break, but try to play some tournaments instead of buy games around Christmas, it would work out well.
Speaking of which ...
- Have Showcase Non Conference Games on Martin Luther King Weekend, The Day Before The Super Bowl, and Presidents Day Weekend
The only problem is once these non conference games are done we don't see major non conference games like this again all season. That's sucky for two reasons, one it's like once it happens it's over and we don't get to experience these big time games the rest of the year. It's over in the blink of an eye. The 2nd reason is it doesn't allow us to properly judge teams in terms of seeding. Like tonight for example, Baylor plays Gonzaga. Two loaded teams. I think it's safe to say these teams will be much different in February then they are opening night, why not have them play closer to Selection Sunday? Wouldn't that give us a better glimpse of seeding? I feel like MLK, The Super Bowl and Presidents Day Weekend are three times that are perfect to try and own the country. It breaks up conference play, and it's at a time when you can garnish eyeballs.
- Make Sweet 16 games standalone games
Remember the one year we did this during the pandemic and how awesome it was? I understand it would be hard logistically but this needs to happen. Start them at 4, 6, 8 and 10 each night. Don't start the second site until the first one is over. Allow us to really watch the Sweet 16 games one screen at a time instead of overlapping and juggling between the two screens.
- Only Let One Bid Leagues Play Their Conference Championship Games On Sunday
There is no reason for The SEC and Big Ten to play on Sunday. Just no reason. I love the big games just as much as anyone, but it's very clear these teams don't get properly seeded as the game ends and they are adjusting the bracket right at the final buzzer. They can't properly seed these teams it's just a fact. I still think we need games played on Sunday leading up to the brackets, so keep the 1 bid leagues playing as their seeds are much easier to decipher.