OT: Viewership numbers?

[RUChoppin]

Ok two separate followups:

#1. If Rutgere had won this year with Ace/Dylan on their way out before even arriving and all the transfers, how excited and interested would you have been? Say they made the Sweet 16

There are 4 outcomes for winning/veterans and I'd wager this is the priority for most:
1. Win with program veterans
2. Win with "mercenaries"
3. Lose with program veterans
4. Lose with program "mercenaries".

This season was a 4. But could have easily been a 2 and then all this "disinterest" would be gone.


#2 If the Rutgers specific issues aren't the cause, then why the disinterest in the tournament? Why was it boring?
I can't imagine Rutgers fans caring if Flordia or Texas Tech had massive roster turnover.

#1 - I was really exited about this season in the latter part of 2023-24. Swapping Fernandez/Hyatt for Harper/Bailey would have made a huge difference in the fortunes of the 2023-24 team. Then we lost Omoruyi, Mag, Simpson, and Woolf, too.... and brought in a bunch of mercs to replace them. The team in November was a who's-who of "who's-that?"

The writing was on the wall very early that we were not making the tournament. I had us as "out" on 12/23 in SBP's thread. Had fortunes been different, and we'd had an entirely different season than we had, and made the Sweet 16 - I'd have been excited to watch our first every Sweet 16 in my lifetime.

The "disinterest" isn't in Rutgers - it's in the sport in general. There was a time 8-10 years back when I'd have watched literally any college basketball game on television, from any conference, regular season or tournament. I just don't feel that way anymore..

#2 - The first weekend was dull as hell. Virtually no drama at all. The opening rounds produced pretty much zero surprises, aside from maybe SJU having a poor shooting game against a good Arkansas team. Only one buzzer beater (Maryland), no overtime games, no real upsets, and most games weren't very close in the final 5 min - with the higher seeded team just keeping the lower seeded one at arm's length until the clock ran out.

Only 4 of the first 32 games were decided by fewer than 7 points, and only 5 of the next 16 games... only 7 games of 48 were single-score finishes, and some of those were on last possession desperation shots to cut it to a single score. The only "upset" games where a team beat someone seeded at least 4 spots higher were: 12 CSU over 5 Memphis, 12 McNeese over 5 Clemson, 11 Drake over 6 Missouri, and 10 Arkansas over 2 SJU.

But why? In part because the best players from these lower seeded teams were harvested after last season. For example, FAU had a great tournament run in 2022-23.... and now their top 4 players from that team are all on tournament rosters this year (Goldin on Michigan, Davis on Arkansas, Martin on Florida, Boyd on SDSU). Danny Wolf left Yale early, which is a rare thing from the Ivy League, which defanged Yale in the first round.

 

[e5fdny]

People whined when Cinderellas Florida Atlantic and San Diego State were in the Final Four a couple of years ago. Now they're whining because the Final Four are all 1 seeds. No pleasing some people.

The only ones whining were fans and alums of those teams they beat. And probably some people (and Vegas) mad their bracket was busted.

But collectively, more like it that other way. It's why most prefer "One Shining Moment" results over a blowout or the predicted winner.

 

[bac2therac]

This tourney has been emotionless...dead eyes

 

[RUChoppin]

The losing definitely had an effect.

In my interest in Rutgers this season? Possibly... but the losing was in large part due to the other factors I don't like, namely having to replace the whole team with mercs and hoping for the best.

In my interest in college basketball in general, not really - I was much more into college basketball when we were getting annihilated during the Eddie Jordan years than I am today.

 

[RUChoppin]

People whined when Cinderellas Florida Atlantic and San Diego State were in the Final Four a couple of years ago. Now they're whining because the Final Four are all 1 seeds. No pleasing some people.

You realize those are groups of different people, right? The people excited by Cinderellas don't overlap much with the people who want chalk in the Final Four.

I think what you're looking for is there's "no pleasing ALL people".

 

[RAC93]

This tourney has been emotionless...dead eyes

This tournament reminds me of a Tony Soprano line “They say every day is a gift, it’s just…does it have to be a pair of socks?” This tournament has been a pair of socks, very mundane.

 

[e5fdny]

Let’s be honest, most fans here are complaining because Rutgers stinks and with NIL there doesn’t appear to be much hope on the horizon. If Rutgers was playing in the final 4 this weekend, people wouldn’t be whining here. Most of them would be packing for Texas

As has already been said, of course the losing has something to do it. Why wouldn't it?

But there are quite a few others on here are not looking forward to the future, not just Rutgers related but across the landscape overall.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

You realize those are groups of different people, right? The people excited by Cinderellas don't overlap much with the people who want chalk in the Final Four.

I think what you're looking for is there's "no pleasing ALL people".

I really do think this year was an outlier. There were upsets during the regular season.

 

[RUChoppin]

I really do think this year was an outlier. There were upsets during the regular season.

I think we're going to see more early-season upsets, as some teams of strangers coalesce faster than others, and some teams carry forward more continuity than others. We're going to see different types of coaches, who offer more "out of the box" styles of play that don't require as much time to master, and who have the ability to add additional wrinkles as the season progresses.

I think injuries/illnesses are going to become more impactful, too, as teams run with thinner benches - because guys who don't play are a flight risk and not worth wasting NIL on.

The increasing reliance on three-point shooting is also ripe for some upsets, as normal statistical variance will find an underdog that hits a peak in the same game that a favorite hits a valley... but that's mostly just noise and not sustainable.

I'm curious if we ever get to a "trade deadline" concept where players hit the portal and shift teams between semesters of a single season, starting on one team in November and playing for another in February... which may be the last transfer restriction left.

 

[e5fdny]

I think we're going to see more early-season upsets, as some teams of strangers coalesce faster than others, and some teams carry forward more continuity than others. We're going to see different types of coaches, who offer more "out of the box" styles of play that don't require as much time to master, and who have the ability to add additional wrinkles as the season progresses.

I think injuries/illnesses are going to become more impactful, too, as teams run with thinner benches - because guys who don't play are a flight risk and not worth wasting NIL on.

The increasing reliance on three-point shooting is also ripe for some upsets, as normal statistical variance will find an underdog that hits a peak in the same game that a favorite hits a valley... but that's mostly just noise and not sustainable.

I'm curious if we ever get to a "trade deadline" concept where players hit the portal and shift teams between semesters of a single season, starting on one team in November and playing for another in February... which may be the last transfer restriction left.

Forgot about that part since the season overlaps both.

 

[StevieB160]

its absolutely sickening and everyone is pretending like this is normal and that players deserve all this money because they were taken advantage of for so many years blah blah blah

schools literally have no players or maybe 1 or 2 coming back...they are filling out rosters with a checkbook and players who are moving from one place to the next each season with the price tag now the most important selling point on getting them to a school.

this is like the third season of this and we have reached a point of no return, they will never be able to put restrictions back on players. Good luck if you think the settlement is a start to get a hold of this. RIP College hoops. Its pathetic what we are seeing right now.....oooh and dont ask what the players are making...you have no right to know it......hahahaha what a joke

“I’m so upset I’m going to only write six 50,000 word Bracketology updates instead of eight next year”

 

[Jerseylegends]

Probably go cold turkey and not watch any college basketball

You should watch Houston, you might like them. They held Tennessee to 15 points in the first half of their elite 8 match up. Although they did hit a couple of 3s to seal the game late. But it's sad to hear this, almost feel bad. I do hear the NBA is thinking about allowing hand checking again to try and get viewers like you back. We will see..

 

[LotusAggressor]

You should watch Houston, you might like them. They held Tennessee to 15 points in the first half of their elite 8 match up. Although they did hit a couple of 3s to seal the game late. But it's sad to hear this, almost feel bad. I do hear the NBA is thinking about allowing hand checking again to try and get viewers like you back. We will see..

He might not. Sampson spent several seasons as an NBA assistant. Houston's defensive principles are based on the things he learned in that role.

 

[Mr_Twister]

NCAA Tournament viewership flat, but event likely headed for a gain with strong Final Four

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament heads into the Final Four this weekend with viewership flat compared to 2024 at the same point, but up 3% from two years ago.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

 

[bac2therac]

Why watch games on your giant TV screen at home when you can watch them on your phone in a tik tok snippet

 

[Mr_Twister]

Why watch games on your giant TV screen at home when you can watch them on your phone in a tik tok snippet

Are you suggesting those are faux fans?

 

[LotusAggressor]

I really do think this year was an outlier. There were upsets during the regular season.

A lot of the players that would have been instrumental in tournament upsets are now playing for the higher seeded teams.

 

[NickRU714]

Why watch games on your giant TV screen at home when you can watch them on your phone in a tik tok snippet

This is exactly why I don't care about designing the tournament for "fun and exciting".
To garner more of the tik tok crowd?

 

[Mholinko]

All the "I'm not watching the tourney because of roster turnover" is fake.

Unless you can name Auburns 2023-2024 starting lineup and the changes to this year - then what does roster turnover have to do with watching tournament games?

"I was going to watch Ole Miss - Texas Tech but a bunch of guys who I had no idea about left those schools and replaced with other guys I had no idea about. So I'm not watching. As a Rutgers fans, I was emotionally attached to last years Texas Tech players."

Rutgers being terrible is the #1 reason (by a long shot) to people disinterest in CBB and the tournament.

Exactly this

Most people I sit near at the RAC don’t know anybody on any other teams outside the big 10 and a lot don’t even know the guys on the teams we’re playing

Sick of the roster turnover and transfer portal? Did anybody here even know where Milos Uzan or LJ cryer played before Houston? Did you care?

How about Walter Clayton? Chaz Lanier?

Denver jones? Baker Mazara?

Most of you don’t know who they even were before the tournament started so the notion that their movement changed your viewership is silly

Rutgers has sucked for 2 years so less of US watch

The ratings and national interest says otherwise. The ncaa wants some madness round 1 and by the sweet 16 they want the elite… one Cinderella usually seems to be the sweet spot for second weekend interest

 

[RUChoppin]

Exactly this

Most people I sit near at the RAC don’t know anybody on any other teams outside the big 10 and a lot don’t even know the guys on the teams we’re playing

Other than a couple of guys, I couldn't tell you who was on the other teams in conference this year. I knew Wolf/Goldin from prior tournament appearances with Yale/FAU. Julian Reese. Payton Sandfort. Braden Smith. But I've also been withdrawing from keeping track of players the last couple of years, because it's futile.

I think it's going to be more rare to have guys who you battle across 4-6 games over multiple years... or guys who become synonymous with their team.

Guys like Luka Garza, Brad Davidson, Isaac Haas, Matt Haarms, Zach Edey, Trevion Williams, Lamar Stevens, Jordan Bohannon, Cassius Winston, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kofi Cockburn...

Or going back a bit to the Big East days... Herb Pope, Khalid El-Amin, Ray Allen, Randy Foye, Allan Ray, Shaheen Holloway, Hakim Warrick, Gerry McNamara, Eric Devondorf, Troy Murphy, Roy Hibbert..

I used to talk with friends about how we were going to match up against a guy the following season after a Rutgers player either graduated or was going to take a larger role as a sophomore. Or what would happen the next time Dane Miller/Herb Pope got on the floor together. Or about the chants from their family when Jeff and Ricardo Greer faced off against each other.

The last couple of years, it feels like we're talking more about who's going to even be left on our own team, and what newcomers we can get from the portal... I have no idea what sort of swirl is happening with the other teams, and the roster we play next year will likely be entirely different than what we saw last year.