The college football playoffs are set. Two universities are left to fight to take home the National Championship trophy. Ohio State will take on Alabama to stick “National College Football Champions” all over their campus trying to lure students to their campuses. 

Although, this is no article on college football; it is actually one on college basketball. An article on college basketball and how much more organized and less of a poop-parade the college basketball season will be compared to the college football season.

There’s more teams competing in NCAA basketball, and more games, which means more travel, yet the inevitable dumpster fire will not be as big as college football’s. The key: respect for the NCAA. 

In college football there are divisions like the SEC, Big 10, Pac-12, ACC, along with other small divisions. They all work separately though. There is no respect for the NCAA in terms of football and what the Association told teams to do for this past season. Despite the NCAA laying down the law, each division did what they wanted and beat around the bush as best as possible. 

Now, NCAA college basketball. 

Basketball is attempting to make the season a more collective effort towards keeping student-athletes engaged into what has been their life. Each conference has been working together to organize the ongoing season. Mr. Dan Gavitt, VP of NCAA Basketball, has been working months upon months trvalleing across the country attempting to unify all universities together willing to participate in the season. 

“We had the benefit of time, watching other sports starting and learning from them. It’s not perfect, and we weren’t even shooting for perfection. But I do hope we’ve achieved a responsible and unified plan to start college basketball,” he told Sports Illustrated in September 2020.

Practices cannot exceed 20 hours per week and there will be a maximum of 27 games played, with a minimum of 13 games to be eligible for March Madness.

Ah, March Madness. Music to my ears. It’s like the fourth quarter of any NBA game. They are really the only important and worth-watching games of the season. Last year, the NCAA Men’s Division I Committee decided that March Madness would not be smart to continue with, as it was at the beginning of lockdowns and when fear was at its near highest of COVID. This year, the committee has decided otherwise. It had been thought by many, including myself, that this March madness would have been cut short with only 32 or 16 teams competing, but the committee still has plans to host the regular 68 team tournament for millions to watch. 

Although, palms for location have changed. Spokesman for the committee, David Warlock said in a press release on November 16, 2020, “…it became apparent to the committee that conducting the championship at 13 preliminary round sites spread throughout the country would be very difficult to execute in the current pandemic environment. The committee has decided the championship should be held in a single geographic area to enhance the safety and well-being of the event.”

Regardless of your opinion on how COVID should be handled is beyond the point, credit is given where credit is due, and I think a lot of credit should be given to NCAA basketball and its cooperation in formulating a smooth season for players, coaches and staff. 

Granted, the grass is always greener on the other side, but it is clear basketball’s dumpster fire is not as prominent as football’s poop parade.