College baseball

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Becoming my favorite college sport in large part because of smart MLB draft rules, and the perfectly structured post season format.
Great logic. Bball sucks because of former and CFB because of latter. More I live, more realize Everything is Cyclical and All Things Must Pass.
 
How to grow the game, any ideas?

Comes down to how to increase fan interest (i.e. how to drive demand).

Hopefully with more games on TV in the future that will naturally increase interest. I think the talent level also needs to increase for people to care more about the sport. I would think there are 3 things that can be done in that regard:

1) Increase # of scholarships - this probably wouldn't impact the elite talent signing multi-million dollar contracts out of high school, but could still help.
2) Allow MLB prospects to sign contracts, defer joining their MLB organizations, and play NCAA instead - I can't imagine MLB would allow this to happen, but some kids might prefer to spend their age 18-20 years in college vs. in MILB. This should be a no brainer for NCAA, but would obviously destroy the concept of amateurism (a concept that should be destroyed...)
3) Implement innovative rules - this might come off as gimmicky though, and if the rules deviated too much from MLB, perhaps it would have adverse affects on player development. Would be kinda cool though, and would make the sport more relevant if people think the changes would flow to MLB eventualy

Not sure if anything else can be done to attract int'l talent.
 
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How to grow the game, any ideas?

1) Speed up the games w pitch time clock like MiLB
2) Regional and super-regional format is the best of the three major sports, especially since they started seeding the top 16 (basketball and football would be wise to copy it - crowds and atmosphere are boring at neutral sites)
3) Work with MLB on changing the draft so it doesn't detract from the post-season playoffs
4) Increase the number of scholarships for all the "level playing field" reasons discussed before
5) Shorten the time in Omaha somehow - it's too long (and the unpredictable weather in June compounds things)
 
You are never going to get these new generations interested in NCAA baseball. During the 80s, Miami's populace consisted of approximately 50% Cubans and 50% Americans, and both segments loved baseball. You did not have the Heat nor the Marlins. Many of us grew up in Mark Light. That is not happening today. Millennials hate baseball as does the generation after them. I talked to a few of the "old guard" at the stadium and they say attendance declines every year.
 
You are never going to get these new generations interested in NCAA baseball. During the 80s, Miami's populace consisted of approximately 50% Cubans and 50% Americans, and both segments loved baseball. You did not have the Heat nor the Marlins. Many of us grew up in Mark Light. That is not happening today. Millennials hate baseball as does the generation after them. I talked to a few of the "old guard" at the stadium and they say attendance declines every year.

Pretty much this, only places you'll see growth are areas with little to no competition for attention. Funny you mentioned the old days I was just thinking the other day I remember when it was always Miami and Hawai'i that led the way in attendance. Granted I think most of the attendance reported back then was just guesstimations.
 
I’d argue the recent losing has as much to do with attendance as anything. The 2017 opening night crowd, coming off back to back trips to Omaha, was one of the best I’ve seen in years.
 
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Televise games on the weekends like college football. Not just on ESPNU....but like ABC, CBS, etc. Not just SEC games too. The problem I have is that Florida Sports channel televises teams from up north.....but rarely any teams from Florida. Makes no sense.
 
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This sure as **** doesn't help, the AD's that voted again this should be embarrassed.

https://d1baseball.com/columns/fitt...ant-plan-deals-college-baseball-a-major-blow/

Article is correct, they will never increase the 11.7 scholarships. Frankly, they should still be at 19... The Big Ten and the Northeast schools cannot compete effectively in this sport and they continually attempt to improve their competitive position through asinine decisions. The reality is that they are simply providing state schools with insurmountable advantages.

Stanford is in the midst of implementing something similar to "Operation Vanderbilt". Hopefully, UM is able to do the same in the long-term.
 
Article is correct, they will never increase the 11.7 scholarships. Frankly, they should still be at 19... The Big Ten and the Northeast schools cannot compete effectively in this sport and they continually attempt to improve their competitive position through asinine decisions. The reality is that they are simply providing state schools with insurmountable advantages.

Stanford is in the midst of implementing something similar to "Operation Vanderbilt". Hopefully, UM is able to do the same in the long-term.

Scholarships were reduced from 13 to 11.7 specifically in response to Title IX, not to give the Big Ten an advantage.
 
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