College Baseball Gets the Short End of the Stick

College Football has bowl season. College Basketball has March Madness. But let’s be serious; who’s really even heard of College Baseball?

My question is, why is that so? It’s definitely not because baseball is any less popular then basketball or football, because the truth is just the opposite. Major League Baseball is the most popular of all four major professional sports leagues, and the National Basketball Association has been fighting against declining ratings for years. While NCAA Basketball is extremely popular, it really makes no sense why a sport (baseball) that represents the most popular professional sport in America gets barely any attention at the collegiate level.

My first attempt to justify why college baseball is so much less popular then it’s counterparts would be to say it is because the MLB has such an extensive minor league program, something that the NBA, NFL, or NHL has, and therefore it takes much longer for college athletes to make it to the big stage. This causes College football and basketball to be more popular because fans can invest their interest and time into players who they can then watch progress into the pros immediately. It’s instant gratification. For example, a fan of Vince Young who watched him play at Texas didn’t have to wait years before seeing him play for the Tennessee Titans. In fact, they didn’t even have to wait a full year. A star college baseball player would never show up in the starting lineup in the big leagues a few months after graduation.

However, this argument doesn’t work. If that was truly the case, then both the NBA and NFL would be much more popular then the MLB because they would have crossover fans from the NCAA. But as I stated earlier, that is not the case, and the NCAA teams are much more liked then the pro teams. Other then the immediate admission into professional sports, there’s really no other difference for a college athlete going to the NBA or going to the MLB. So again, why does college baseball get nothing near the hype of the other Division-I sports?

Well, as a huge MLB fan, I’ve come up with my reason, and you can take it or leave it. I thoroughly enjoy watching both football and basketball, but my interest in those sports does not even come close to my love for baseball. And yes, a lot of it does have to do with the actual game of baseball that I love, but a whole lot of it also has to do with everything else that has to do with the MLB, not just the game. I’m talking about historic records being broken, off-season turmoil, blockbuster trades, player loyalty, etc. So much about following a professional baseball team happens in between the games that it’s basically like a 24/7 attachment.

I don’t think all of those things exist in the NBA or NFL as richly as they do in the MLB, especially player loyalty. And in college baseball, those things definitely don’t exist. Sure, you can follow a team and watch all of their games, but there is not even the possibility for a fan to be as involved in a college baseball team as they can be in a professional baseball team.

On the flip side, college basketball gives you the exact same opportunity as a fan as the NBA does, minus the spoiled athletes requesting millions of dollars. I understand why a basketball fan may prefer the NCAA.

To be honest, I don’t think there’s much potential for college baseball to reach the magnitude that college football and basketball have reached. But hey, don’t feel too bad for the baseball players. After they pay their dues in the minor leagues for a few years I hear Scott Boras can make them pretty rich…