****The official NEW new conference realignment thread.****

[Saul Good]

the second thread has been pronounced dead.

[Bowser]

I'll admit this - I'm not a basketball guy, either pro or college, but I really enjoy watching the tournament. However, I somewhat lose interest as the tourney goes on. Watching teams get TO the Final Four is way more interesting to me than watching the teams that are IN the Final Four.

And I know that this will get all kinds of eye rolling from my Jayhawk fiends, but college basketball doesn't have much competition in way of other sports. The NBA is boring compared to college, and hockey just doesn't have the draw (even though they have rabid fans). College BB is really about the only thing going on then. Not sure that's much of a compliment.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Apparently people would rather watch Wichita State play basketball than the Fiesta, Cotton, Orange or Sugar Bowls. At least the Rose did better.

Wichita State was the classic Cinderella story. Of course people tuned them in. Doesn't mean any of those other bowl games drew poorly, mind you.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by Bowser

I'll admit this - I'm not a basketball guy, either pro or college, but I really enjoy watching the tournament. However, I somewhat lose interest as the tourney goes on. Watching teams get TO the Final Four is way more interesting to me than watching the teams that are IN the Final Four.

And I know that this will get all kinds of eye rolling from my Jayhawk fiends, but college basketball doesn't have much competition in way of other sports. The NBA is boring compared to college, and hockey just doesn't have the draw (even though they have rabid fans). College BB is really about the only thing going on then. Not sure that's much of a compliment.

College Basketball earns more advertising revenue than anything in sports except the NFL.

All sports find their time of year. The only time you see real "competition" is when the World Series is forced to go against the NFL.

Everything else puts their major events on nights/times there won't be much to compete against.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Apparently people would rather watch Wichita State play basketball than the Fiesta, Cotton, Orange or Sugar Bowls. At least the Rose did better.

Last years BCS National Championship Game between arguably the two most storied programs in the history of the sport drew 26.4 million viewers.

23.4 million watched two second tier programs play for the National Title in basketball.

But you are correct. If you loosely equate the Final Four to the BCS Bowls then college basketball ratings are much higher.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Wichita State was the classic Cinderella story. Of course people tuned them in. Doesn't mean any of those other bowl games drew poorly, mind you.

Of course not, never said as much. Studies on tourney ratings suggest viewers tune in for Cinderellas more so than traditional powers.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Bowser

I'll admit this - I'm not a basketball guy, either pro or college, but I really enjoy watching the tournament. However, I somewhat lose interest as the tourney goes on. Watching teams get TO the Final Four is way more interesting to me than watching the teams that are IN the Final Four.

And I know that this will get all kinds of eye rolling from my Jayhawk fiends, but college basketball doesn't have much competition in way of other sports. The NBA is boring compared to college, and hockey just doesn't have the draw (even though they have rabid fans). College BB is really about the only thing going on then. Not sure that's much of a compliment.

I'd stipulate all those points but I post the viewership data to dispel the myth college football is so vastly more popular. It is but the margin isn't all that great. Both sports don't draw flies relative to the NFL. It's so dominant that even the garbage Pro Bowl draws great ratings.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I'd stipulate all those points but I post the viewership data to dispel the myth college football is so vastly more popular. It is but the margin isn't all that great. Both sports don't draw flies relative to the NFL. It's so dominant that even the garbage Pro Bowl draws great ratings.

In fairness, it's the NCAA Tournament that draws big viewership, not the weekly matchups.

[Prison Bitch]

Sure. If the tourney disappeared and was replaced by a BCS style beauty pageant the sport would become irrelevant. Obv with the 800M per year in fees that would never happen but...

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by Bowser

In fairness, it's the NCAA Tournament that draws big viewership, not the weekly matchups.

Not really comparable. If KU, Duke, UK etc only played 12 times a year the ratings would be through the roof. There simply isn't enough eyeballs to go around to keep ratings similar to football.

I like college basketball but even I'm surprised just how huge the Tournament is. Nothing is more valuable save the Super Bowl.

[ChiefsCountry]

We will see what the Final Four ratings are when they move to TBS instead on over-air CBS.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Bowser

I'll admit this - I'm not a basketball guy, either pro or college, but I really enjoy watching the tournament. However, I somewhat lose interest as the tourney goes on. Watching teams get TO the Final Four is way more interesting to me than watching the teams that are IN the Final Four.

And I know that this will get all kinds of eye rolling from my Jayhawk fiends, but college basketball doesn't have much competition in way of other sports. The NBA is boring compared to college, and hockey just doesn't have the draw (even though they have rabid fans). College BB is really about the only thing going on then. Not sure that's much of a compliment.

For most of the country, there is a 3 week period of the year when they are watching a lot of college hoops. In March there isnt much else to watch.

Football drives revenue and it drives television contracts and conference realignment as a result. Basketball is the second most important sport in the collegiate ranks, obviously

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Cochise

For most of the country, there is a 3 week period of the year when they are watching a lot of college hoops. In March there isnt much else to watch.

Nonsense, but let's suppose it's true. So what? It's still incredible exposure. Kansas-UNC in the Elite 8 drew almost 12M viewers compared to 6M that ABC Saturday Night Football Primetime averaged the prior fall. Besides, what are people watching the 1st week of January that's provides so much competition to BCS games anyway?

Football drives revenue and it drives television contracts and conference realignment as a result. Basketball is the second most important sport in the collegiate ranks, obviously

Just the control of dollars. Football revenues are kept by the conference, whereas the NCAA Tourney revenues are kept by the NCAA. That's the difference. It's not "popularity" or advertising dollars in whole. That's the concept we are helping you understand here.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Hoops is a secondary sport. If that toots your fancy, more power to ya. Always has been always will. America is a football country and that's what gets respect when your team wins.

[Bambi]

College Basketball earns more advertising dollars than college football. It always has and probably always will.

It's quite fulfilling for the teams that take advantage of such a huge cash flow.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Bambi

College Basketball earns more advertising dollars than college football. It always has and probably always will.

Per game? Per team?