I remember where I was last Tuesday: Willett Hall. Do you remember where you were?
It’s really a shame that last week’s game against Liberty didn’t receive a high-level of attention on a national scale. I’m not only saying that because I’m a Lancer, but because it really was an incredible game in every sense of the word.
There was no shortage of incredible games in college basketball this season, whether it was Butler/Gonzaga, Illinois/Indiana ... the list goes on. I heard Mike Gillian say last week that the game was “what college basketball is all about,” and he’s right.
Thinking back on that game now, it’s still hard to believe the way it went down. TT Carey had a school-Division I-record 40 points to go along with 12 rebounds, which helped him earn the school’s first-ever Big South Player of the Week award on Monday. Both LUs combined for 34 points in the final two minutes, and 55 in the last four. Liberty almost finished the comeback late, but a potentially game-winning “Hail Mary” fell well short at the horn and after two tries, the Lancer Lunatics (myself included) got to storm the court.
Did I mention the rivalry aspect of it? The “Longwood Hate Day” promoted by Flames Nation, the fan blog of Liberty athletics? It’s worth reporting, also, that the “Hate Day” had no official affiliation with Liberty University, itself. That said, it was still one of the biggest wins of the Division I era for the men’s basketball team, if not the biggest.
It got me thinking about college sports in general. It’s true that sports here are not exactly like those of Alabama or Stanford. College athletics have hit a crossroads of sorts in recent years. The controversy surrounding college football’s BCS system hit a fever pitch last year, indirectly resulting in a long-awaited change to a playoff. While it’s only a four-team system that won’t be implemented until the 2014 season, this writer views it as a progressive step in the right direction. Non-money sports find themselves in a difficult position as well. Baseball, lacrosse and the like bring in very little revenue for programs that depend on football and men’s basketball to provide the dough to keep programs running. It’s the case at BCS-size schools like our neighbors in Charlottesville and Blacksburg, and it’s an even bigger case here. Virginia has 23 sports (between men and women) to depend on. We have 14. Football and men’s basketball tickets routinely cost upwards of $50, while tickets to non-money sports can run well under $20 — admission for other sports is completely free of charge.
As if that wasn’t enough, sentiment toward the cause of student-athletes receiving some form of payment for their skills grows louder seemingly by the day. Just yesterday, I read a column by ESPN’s Rick Reilly about Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and his attempt to trademark the ubiquitous “Johnny Football” nickname given to him by his teammates. Sports are a cash cow for colleges across the country; there’s no denying that. To give you an idea of how high budgets are getting, the University of Texas had a budget of over $150 million last year. As shown on Longwood’s website, the university spent nearly $7 million on athletics this year. Even with the trials and tribulations aside, it’s still hard to beat the atmosphere of a college sports venue.
For one, the rivalries in college are far better than most in professional sports. UNC/Duke, Army/Navy, Michigan/Ohio State, the Iron Bowl and others are second to just about none. Sure, Redskins/Cowboys and Red Sox/Yankees are great rivalries in their own rights, but it’s hard to say that the fans in the stadiums and arenas get more into it for professional sports than in college.
My reasoning behind that is simple: student- athletes in college are not on a dissimilar level when compared to full-time students who don’t play a sport, while the fans of pro-teams are just that — fans. I may wear a jersey, but that doesn’t mean that I’m a Washington Capital, for example. In the university setting, though, it’s different. In college, it really is about what’s on the front of the jersey and not on the back.
There’s something unique about it all — the chants seem louder, the rivalries deeper, the wins sweeter and the losses that much more devastating. The NCAA Tournament can’t come soon enough for most, and the moments that happen every year can be nothing short of magical. Cinderella stories annually capture the imagination of the country, and for good reason — the game is more pure at the collegiate level. It’s not about the money. Games like last Tuesday are really what college basketball is all about. Rivalries, comebacks, rushing the floor — it’s all a part of the collegiate experience.
We should all count ourselves so lucky to be a part of it. *** This editorial is an opinion stated by the writer and does not represent the views of The Rotunda or Longwood University.
