Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
Jeeps.
Been watching some games and the new bats are a travesty. The ball sounds awful coming off of the bat and if I see another flair, my head will explode....
They should've just went to wooden bats.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
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They should've just went to wooden bats.
This is precisely why I have no interest in NCAA baseball. Aluminum bats are for kids.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
Yes. It should be as exciting as March Madness. It's poorly covered.
You can't even find information on the regular season on the major internet sports sources without extensive digging, and even then, it's very poor.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
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Originally Posted by
Revering4Blue
This is precisely why I have no interest in NCAA baseball. Aluminum bats are for kids.
I think Aluminum bats should be outlawed at any level.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
The new BBCOR rated bats are nothing like the previous aluminum bats. They perform and sound much like wood.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
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Originally Posted by
Kingspoint
Yes. It should be as exciting as March Madness. It's poorly covered.
You can't even find information on the regular season on the major internet sports sources without extensive digging, and even then, it's very poor.
It never has been as exciting as March Madness and it never will be as exciting as March Madness.
When I was in high school Dan Patrick was speaking at our school's sports stag. He asked to speak to the student body the day before and of course it was agreed to. During the Q&A part a student asked about college baseball and why ESPN doesn't show more of it. The answer came back something to the effect of there just isn't a demand for it.
The coverage of it has always been poor. One problem could be that the season starts when college basketball gets into overdrive. Another is people just aren't thinking baseball this early in the year. I couldn't believe myself that the season had already started.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
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Originally Posted by
bucksfan2
It never has been as exciting as March Madness and it never will be as exciting as March Madness.
When I was in high school Dan Patrick was speaking at our school's sports stag. He asked to speak to the student body the day before and of course it was agreed to. During the Q&A part a student asked about college baseball and why ESPN doesn't show more of it. The answer came back something to the effect of there just isn't a demand for it.
The coverage of it has always been poor. One problem could be that the season starts when college basketball gets into overdrive. Another is people just aren't thinking baseball this early in the year. I couldn't believe myself that the season had already started.
The flip side of that argument is that broadcast saturation can drive demand. ESPN largely decides what people are interested in through their programming, as does FSN. Why do people watch events like poker, eating contests and world's strongest man? Because they are on.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
You're also dealing with the nation's sporting culture. Football started as a college sport, and college football sank its roots into our sports culture long before the NFL became a monolith. Basketball started as a college sport, and college basketball mattered long before anybody much cared about the NBA, and they have that great tournament.
But for over 100 years, baseball = pro in most people's minds. Get away from MLB and the first place people look is not college ball but minor-league ball. The aluminum-bat thing hasn't helped in that regard. Kids hit with metal. Grownups hit with wood.
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The flip side of that argument is that broadcast saturation can drive demand. ESPN largely decides what people are interested in through their programming, as does FSN. Why do people watch events like poker, eating contests and world's strongest man? Because they are on.
But they only show those things when there's nothing else better to show. College baseball competes against late-season college basketball (talk about oversaturation) and as soon as March Madness is over, it's Opening Day, and everyone's carrying MLB. There's no window open for college baseball to rise to the top and get some attention.
The College World Series is great, but it's about the only time of year people pay attention to college baseball if they aren't a fan of a specific college baseball team.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
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Originally Posted by
reds1869
The flip side of that argument is that broadcast saturation can drive demand. ESPN largely decides what people are interested in through their programming, as does FSN. Why do people watch events like poker, eating contests and world's strongest man? Because they are on.
When are those programs on? Thats the key thing. Poker generally is on during the summer months when MLB is the only thing going. It shows reruns at 10pm on ESPN2. It is basically a time killer because nothing else better is on. The worlds strongest man is also on at very odd hours. I guess you could replay some NCAA baseball but then again who wants to watch a replay of a baseball game? And also it doesn't fit into that 1 hour window.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
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Originally Posted by
IslandRed
You're also dealing with the nation's sporting culture. Football started as a college sport, and college football sank its roots into our sports culture long before the NFL became a monolith. Basketball started as a college sport, and college basketball mattered long before anybody much cared about the NBA, and they have that great tournament.
But for over 100 years, baseball = pro in most people's minds. Get away from MLB and the first place people look is not college ball but minor-league ball. The aluminum-bat thing hasn't helped in that regard. Kids hit with metal. Grownups hit with wood.
But they only show those things when there's nothing else better to show. College baseball competes against late-season college basketball (talk about oversaturation) and as soon as March Madness is over, it's Opening Day, and everyone's carrying MLB. There's no window open for college baseball to rise to the top and get some attention.
The College World Series is great, but it's about the only time of year people pay attention to college baseball if they aren't a fan of a specific college baseball team.
It doesn't help College baseball that colleges are cutting baseball programs. It's also becoming a West Coast/Southern sport. People like jojo and Revering4Blue are turned off because of the aluminum bats. Another problem is that the star college baseball player doesn't usually get to play in the majors when he's drafted as do the college football and basketball players.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
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Originally Posted by
RANDY IN CHAR NC
The new BBCOR rated bats are nothing like the previous aluminum bats. They perform and sound much like wood.
I know that was the goal but I think they've got a ways to go...
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
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Originally Posted by
Chip R
It doesn't help College baseball that colleges are cutting baseball programs. It's also becoming a West Coast/Southern sport. People like jojo and Revering4Blue are turned off because of the aluminum bats. Another problem is that the star college baseball player doesn't usually get to play in the majors when he's drafted as do the college football and basketball players.
I actually didn't mind the aluminum bats though I do think going wood would be a smart choice. I hate the hybrid weirdness that the NCAA settled upon for whatever reason (I suspect money is a big part of it). It's like NCAA baseball just had $1M worth of cosmetic surgery and I'm like who the heck it that? I don't even recognize you anymore.... The character of the game seems completely changes with one bucket of ice cold water to the face.
To me that's the underlying problem.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
I think the NCAA has capped baseball scholarships at something like 11.7 per team. Therefore, most kids only get a partial scholarship and it's not uncommon that they have to spend a year (or two) as a preferred walk-on before getting the partial scholarship.
That can be a tough sell for a kid coming out of high school who also has the option to start playing minor league ball. The opportunity cost isn't as great to take the small signing bonus and try pro ball first.
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
Is there something different about the bats this year?
Re: Anyone else think the NCAA has screwed up their brand of baseball?
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Originally Posted by
15fan
I think the NCAA has capped baseball scholarships at something like 11.7 per team. Therefore, most kids only get a partial scholarship and it's not uncommon that they have to spend a year (or two) as a preferred walk-on before getting the partial scholarship.
That can be a tough sell for a kid coming out of high school who also has the option to start playing minor league ball. The opportunity cost isn't as great to take the small signing bonus and try pro ball first.
Wow. That's incredible. Upon doing a little digging, apparently very few BB players receive full scholarships
http://www.independentmail.com/news/...aseball-rules/
That article mentions major league players who didn't receive a full ride in college. Considering how many players you need to fill a baseball team, 11.7 is nothing.
You can see why guys opt to sign after being drafted rather than go to school. In fact I'm amazed more don't sign. Since a recruit only gets one yr scholarships, he doesn't even know what kind of financial aide he'll get for more than one year at a time.
You can also see why NCAA BB isn't a better product. If you have any BB skills at all, why go the college route?
