The NCAA would like more of your money

March 18th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

There’s much malaise these days about the NCAA being a ruthless organization, exploiting kids’ talent to make millions of dollars. You know, the talent is the reason all the money is flowing in, but the stars aren’t seeing a dime of it. (This is of course because college athletes are amateur athletes.) It’s a similar fight to what Steve Prefontaine rallied against the AAU about more that 30 years ago. (I personally don’t ever see college athletes getting paid. Just seems weird.)

In any event, not only is the NCAA set to make a whopping $3.8 billion (!!!) from CBS over the next five years for March Madness, but they’re swooping in to get all your ticket money, too.

From the L.A. Times:

While maintaining a firm stance against unregulated scalping, the NCAA has struck deals with online ticket resellers in a bid to share in the wealth being created as Final Four tickets change hands in the secondary market.

Fans now can connect with resellers on an NCAA-approved website and book upscale NCAA travel packages that include Final Four tickets, hotel rooms and admission to exclusive parties. The more adventurous can even participate in a Wall Street-style market that deals in options for hard-to-get tickets.

[ … ]

“When you go to these [online ticketing] websites, you see the professional sports listed right next to college sports,” said Ellen Staurowsky, a professor who teaches sports management classes at Ithaca College in New York. “The NCAA says it adheres strongly to its amateur ideal, but it seems to be operating precisely, exactly the same way that the major professional sports enterprises are.”

[ … ]

The NCAA also hopes to give fans who otherwise would risk being taken by shady operators “the confidence of knowing that the tickets are legitimate and any revenue derived from the programs will directly benefit NCAA member institutions,” Shaheen said.

Tickets are tickets, and if they’re available to fans — the channel probably isn’t of the utmost concern. They just want to see the game, man. Even still, this reeks of capitalization and maximization of profits, not looking out for the best interest of the consumer to make sure tickets “are legitimate.” Although, you never want to be stuck with counterfeit tickets.

Unless you have to bring your daughter to that Hannah Montana show. Sure, she may be crying the whole way home once you guys can’t get in, but it’s worth not having to sit through the concert, right?

College athletics taketh away, and college athletics giveth

February 7th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

So I celebrated signing day by completely decrying the collegiate recruitment process and the particularly murky aspects of those players’ careers once they arrive at their campus of choice. It might be a bit ironic then - or at least contradictory - that I’ll settle under the warm glow of the HDTV tonight for a night full of collegiate athletics at their finest. Hey, I never said I didn’t like college hoops, I just don’t like the way they’re made. If I was into giving simple concepts presumptuous capitalized titles (or if I was Bill Simmons), I might call it the Sausage Theory.

Anyway, one game obviously jumps up at the viewer tonight: North Carolina at Duke, traditionally the most overhyped of all sports contests. By now it’s an old complaint, but the number of camera angles - nay, channels - dedicated to a regular season college basketball contest is truly something to behold. Even national championships don’t get the subsidiary treatment. And a camera trained on the fans - really? As someone who’s been inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, the last thing you really ought to focus on is the incredibly nerdy, cranky Crazies, especially when there is quality basketball being played on the floor in front of you. (Quick story: when Indiana played at Cameron for the Big Ten/ACC earlier in the season, every time the Hoosiers would set up their mini benches on the Duke floor, three female Crazies would give themselves absolute coronaries screaming “GET OFF OUR FLOOR!!! DISRESPECTFUL!!! THAT’S SO DISRESPECTFUL!!! GET OFF OUR FLOOR!!!” Finally someone on media row told them that it was something IU did every game, and that it was probably not meant as disrespect. Blue-faced [from the shout-induced asphyxiation, not the face paint], the Harpies just glared at the poor guy. Crazy, indeed.)

But alas, as in most other years, at least one of these teams is very good and the other is slightly above average, making the game worthwhile viewing even for impartial college basketball fans. And as cynical as I might be - it wouldn’t surprise me if the NCAA arranged this scheduling so everyone could immediately forget how icky signing day is - it’s hard to thumb your nose at college basketball’s aesthetic finest. That what it’s all about, after all; the sheer joy of the game might not completely trump my qualms with the NCAA, but it certainly helps the balance.

For the record, that photo was taken immediately after Roy Williams was asked if he thought a “Crazies Cam” was the least bit necessary. “OH GOD NO!! NO!!!!”