College Basketball’s Early Surprises & Growing Concerns

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Outspoken With Dan Sileo

Strong Early Matchups, Sparse Crowds and Tournament Expansion Shape College Basketball

Virginia has been one of the biggest early surprises of the college basketball season, while Illinois’ offensive production has also stood out. Beyond individual teams, however, the quality of the early-season scheduling has been particularly noticeable. Almost every night has featured a compelling matchup, with teams such as Florida State and Florida taking on challenging games.

That aggressive scheduling could be a byproduct of the expanded NCAA tournament, with teams feeling less threatened by the possibility that an early loss will keep them out. The scheduling is worth celebrating. VCU’s trip to Memphis in the second game of the season initially seemed risky, but it produced a terrific game.

At the same time, attendance at some of these games is a concern. Indiana and Syracuse played in an NBA arena with a capacity of 17,000, but the announced attendance was 5,000. That raises questions about whether the season is starting too early and whether the increased number of games is creating oversaturation.

The same issue has appeared elsewhere. At Penn Palestra in Philadelphia, Richmond and Temple played in front of 1,200 people, while Penn State and Pitt drew 2,000. Oregon State and Miami of Ohio have also called out their fan bases. It is not yet a major alarm, but it is something to watch, particularly when considering whether even elite matchups at neutral sites will consistently draw crowds.

The expansion of the NCAA tournament to 76 teams also creates concerns. Previously, college basketball dominated the sports conversation from Selection Sunday through Thursday’s opening games. Fans spent Monday and Tuesday debating the 69th team and tournament seeding before attention shifted fully to basketball when the first four began.

With expansion, that rhythm could disappear as teams are selected on Sunday night and immediately begin traveling. It could also minimize the importance of the regular season. An 11th-place SEC team with a .500 record may know it will make the tournament because a difficult schedule produces strong numeric results, and selections are largely a numeric study.

One benefit of expansion is that unusual cases may no longer be excluded. Miami of Ohio played the schedule in front of it and won every game, yet there was still an argument that the team would not make the tournament. To the general public, denying such a team an opportunity did not make sense.