I’m seeing an increasing number of photographs of social media, exhibiting newly refurbished competitors surfaces for numerous sports activities groups.
Whether or not it’s a freshly-painted ACC emblem on Cal-Berkeley’s soccer gridiron, or the Huge Ten emblem within the free-throw lane of the College of Southern California’s basketball courtroom, the period of the coast-to-coast collegiate convention is simply starting.
It’s not simply the visuals that will likely be jarring, nonetheless. It will likely be a whole lot of the finances outlays to fly student-athletes, particularly from non-revenue sports activities, throughout the nation.
Now, in lots of athletic endeavors, groups will group their groups in pairs, corresponding to when North Carolina’s subject hockey crew will play at Stanford and California the primary weekend of October.
However the frequent-flyer miles will actually begin accumulating within the spring, when a number of the lacrosse faculties, corresponding to UCLA, USC, and Oregon will begin popping out east and when faculties on the East Coast will begin flying out for reverse fixtures.
To make sure, there’s now some ridiculous cash being spent on faculty sports activities. Sponsors, on-line wagering, and income from names, likeness, and imaging are flying round with a fury and recklessness that may befit the Wild West.
I’m additionally watching a bit of warily for indicators that operating a coast-to-coast league will not be sustainable. I have a look at what has been occurring with sure restaurant chains and the overspending a few of them did with the intention to develop within the final 50 or so years. A few of them had been small regional operations, however plowed funding {dollars} to attempt to develop the enterprise.
Some have labored. Some haven’t. However the ones that went into chapter 11 dedicated the error of being too formidable when it got here to progress. “An excessive amount of, too quick,” some would possibly say.
Now, if you happen to’ve seen a number of the actions of faculty sports activities groups the previous couple of years, and thought they have been a bit outlandish when it comes to geography, consider this: a Division III college, the State College of New York at New Paltz, introduced its intention to affix the New Jersey Athletic Convention.
If you happen to hadn’t been paying consideration, there have been a whole lot of seismic actions in D-III athletics in the previous couple of years, with the formation of some conferences with as much as 16 members. Thoughts you, most of those nonetheless make sense in the case of geographical location. So far as I can inform, it’s uncommon for a crew to should cross greater than a few state borders to get to a convention rival.
About the one one with a real geographical splash is the College Athletic Affiliation, which has faculties in Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
None of the present eight faculties has lacrosse or subject hockey of their varsity choices.
Makes me marvel.
