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By Ivan Maisel Of the 10 schools that sent teams to a BCS bowl this year, only four of them — Alabama, Michigan, West Virginia and Wisconsin — have a team in the men's NCAA tournament. That seems counter-intuitive, if not downright stunning.
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March, 12, 2012 Mar 122:58PM ETEmail Print Comments37By Ivan MaiselOf the 10 schools that sent teams to a BCS bowl this year, only four of them — Alabama, Michigan, West Virginia and Wisconsin — have a team in the men’s NCAA tournament. That seems counter-intuitive, if not downright stunning. But here’s the stunning fact — four out of 10 is average for the BCS era.
In 14 seasons since the BCS began in 1998, 41.1 percent of the BCS bowl schools have sent teams into the March Madness bracket. Through 2005, when only eight teams went to BCS bowls, 39 percent of the teams made the NCAA basketball field. Adding a BCS bowl, which gave two more teams the chance to make both fields, helped only somewhat. Since 2006, the number ticked upward to 45 percent.
In the first year of the BCS, 1998, six of eight schools made the basketball field. That remains the high-water mark. In the two seasons 2002 and 2003 combined, only one school, Oklahoma in 2002, sent a basketball team to the NCAA tournament.
It may be as easy as blaming the SEC. In the last six years, when the SEC has put 12 teams in the BCS, only four (33 percent) of the schools also sent a team to the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten, on the other hand, has sent seven-of-12 (57.1 percent), including two this year and last. Of the six Big East schools that made the BCS, four (67 percent) also reached March Madness. The Big East takes its basketball seriously.
“What that tells me,” said Big East senior associate commissioner Nick Carparelli, who is the conference’s COO for football, “is the notion that you need to have a really strong football program for your other programs to be good is not necessarily true. Otherwise, those football programs would have programs in the top 68 basketball teams more often.”
It also says that all the money in the world won’t compensate for hiring the wrong coach. As more and more programs turn to the business world and the development (fund-raising) programs to find athletic directors, they turn away from former coaches and administrators who understand the duties and stresses of being a coach. That remains the most elusive and the most critical element of success in intercollegiate athletics.Tags:
Jane_HarvillNote: addendum to post - I realize that the Alamo Bowl is not a BCS bowl. But good football does not have to mean bad basketball....
Jane_HarvillWell, now, Baylor's the antithesis to this argument, aren't they? Sic'm Bears! Great football season - Heisman, Alamo Bowl win, and 10-3, Top 15 football team, No. 3 seed, Top 10 Men's BBall, and No. 1 seed, unanimous No. 1 Women's BBall team with best basketball player (Brittney Griner) in the history of women's BBall! Sic'm Baylor Bears!...
Gators_JHootsyea this year.. historically no.. FLORIDA is the Antithesis to this argument.. the only team to win a BCS football national title and Basketball national title the same year! they are constantly top of the game in all sports. 2011 CWS finals for both the Mens baseball and womens softball team, Womens tennis national title, back to back mens indoor track national champs, #1 ranked womens gymnasitics, #1 ranked mens baseball, #3 ranked womens softball.. Florida is even the national champion wake b...
Bobbylee2305Well, from the players point of view, it could be said that Basketball players might want to play at a Basketball oriented school that is part of a basketball oriented conference. As an alumnus at Alabama, I can say without a doubt that Alabama football overshadows everything in the state from January 1st until December 31st. and basketball, if it's even second, is a distant second...like from the Earth to the outer edge of our Universe second. ...
jpat0973That is impressive. I don't know the specifics, but Florida is probably close. Other than them I can't think of anyone close....
MelliJellyBeanThat list does look quite impressive! Hey and you can add winning the entire NIT in 2007 to the list. Not as impressive, but still...WVU got a banner for that too....
nykkxinfinityyFlorida. They have few national titles under their belt I believe since then. Not to mention Florida's success in baseball.
Sean4WVU07Florida should have been one I knew off the top of my head. 2007 would have been a great year to be a Florida Gator fan. ...
864979K-State was the only team to finish in the top 10 of the BCS and put both their men's and women's basketball teams in the tournament...
CALMTEERWVU may not have finished in the top 10 but they did finish with the exact same 10-3 record as Kstate AND win a BCS bowl and probably would have spanked Kstate on a neutral field.
chumble21Why did you use BCS standings? Is it because the last BCS standings come out before KState lost their bowl game? The finals polls have Kansas State at 15th (AP) and 16th (Coaches).
Michigan State actually finished the season in the top 10 (coaches) and put their bball team in as a 1 seed. Women's basketball should make the tourney as well, from what I hear. Nice try K-State, but MSU has been the best sports program in the country this year. And I hate to say it but Michigan probably 2nd, Wisconsi...
Jane_HarvillSorry, but at the end of the football season, KSU was behind Baylor in the football polls. KSU ended up at #15/16, Baylor at #13/12 (AP/ESPN). And Baylor has higher-seeded basketball teams in both the men's (No. 3 seed) and women's (No. 1 seed) NCAA tourneys. Both teams did well. Baylor did better.
MGoRyanSo, if I'm reading this right, you're saying that the BCS does almost as good a job of deciding who is the national champion as it does at predicting who will play in the NCAA tournament. ...
jd216136Well, the BCS does a GREAT job. We get the 2 best teams playing in a 2-team playoff for the NC. The way it SHOULD BE! Hoops should follow. The 2 best teams are Kentucky and Syracuse--by far! Nobody else should have a chance at the NC. If anyone other than KY or 'Cuse wins it, we do not have a true champion, yet again....
Targhee159I think the fact that both UK and Syracuse failed to win their conference tournaments, puts a bit of doubt in everyone's mind about whether those two really are the best teams. A "true champion" does what's needed to win the tourney. If not, they aren't a "true champion"....
jd216136Which is why conference tourneys should be eliminated. Neither of those teams had anything to gain. The coaches said as much prior to the tourney beginning. They were just going through the motions. Meant nothing to them with bigger fish to fry....
Sean4WVU07Most people like the NCAA Tournament strictly because of it's entertainment value. I think we all know that the best teams don't always win the tournament, but this is obviously the most fun way to watch college basketball, at least in my opinion. ...
jeru0455What? Are you somehow implying that UCONN wasn't a better team that Kentucky, Kansas, Butler, or Pitt last year? Now you're just talking crazy talk....
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