We’ve survived the madness. With the Final Four upon us, fans can expect to see some high-level basketball between the best teams throughout the season.
This year’s NCAA men’s Final Four is merely the second time in history all No. 1 seeds have made it that far and the first since 2008.
In both the men’s and women’s tournaments, the University of Connecticut is the lone non-No. 1 seed to make the Final Four — in the women’s tournament, beating No. 1 University of South California. USC lost 2025 Naismith Women’s College player of the year Juju Watkins for the season earlier in the tournament.
We should all want to watch the best teams competing for a national championship, but upsets and storylines are what make March Madness special.
With the state of collegiate athletics as is, the transfer portal and name, image and likeness have completely changed the landscape of college basketball. However, UTA Athletics director Jon Fagg said he believes this year’s dominance of one seeds is a fluke.
“A lot of people are saying it’s because NIL has made the best teams, the best and everybody else something else,” he said. “There’s some merit to that, but I feel like it’s going to still turn out to be a fluke.”
While there might not be a direct correlation, TV ratings skyrocketed for the first two rounds of the men’s tournament despite the lack of cinderellas. The opening rounds saw the highest average audience since 1993, according to Nielsen ratings. However, ratings took a 10% hit in the Elite Eight compared to last year’s.
The NCAA faces bigger questions. One of them being: In the vaunted age of the transfer portal, where’s the balance between power five conference schools and mid-major to lower Division I programs?
The portal has allowed players like Auburn University forward Chad Baker-Mazara to play longer than the standard four years in college. The 25-year-old is one of many athletes who started their careers at lower-level programs and eventually played at bigger schools, using all of their redshirt seasons and eligibility to showcase their ability.
Many collegiate coaches have voiced their displeasure with the transfer portal, particularly when it opens for basketball. Geno Auriemma, University of Connecticut women’s basketball head coach called the portal “a big cloud” that hangs over the NCAA Tournament during a March 28 press conference.
“For instance, do you think the NBA will ever have open free agency during the NBA playoffs? I doubt that,” Auriemma said.
The answer is no, but Fagg added an interesting perspective.
“Ideally, it seems like [the portal] would open after the entire season is over. But, the reason it doesn’t is because most people’s seasons are over when March Madness starts,” he said.
Although college coaches are losing a grip of the power they once held, the NCAA is empowering student athletes to not have to potentially wait another three extra weeks to announce a decision regarding their future.
In addition to the portal, NIL has played a part in the increase of student athletes electing to prolong their college career, as opposed to going pro.
For example, on Monday, Olivia Miles, University of Notre Dame guard, chose to forgo the WNBA Draft and enter the transfer portal as a graduate transfer. The decision caused some confusion as to why the projected No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft chose to remain in college.
Regardless of the reasoning behind decisions like this, there’s no denying the vast difference between what once was the reality for student athletes. If a player was eligible to enter the draft — and was good enough — there used to be no doubt that player would have declared for the draft.
Now, especially in women’s basketball, athletes earn more money from NIL and brand deals in college than they probably would during their whole WNBA career.
“Now they have enough incentive to keep going to school, make some money and maybe more will blossom into pro players,” Fagg said.
The NCAA we once knew is a distant memory. If the NCAA wants to continue operating as a professional organization, player empowerment is something they will have to tolerate.
As for us fans, we should just appreciate the product that is being displayed on our TVs.
@babyboimatt
