Earlier today, I was watching an NCAA tournament game being played in Providence, RI (at the Dunkin Donuts Center, or as I was calling it, “The Munchkin”). Then the network switched me to a game being played in San Jose, CA. All the teams were playing at neutral sites, but instead of using the home team’s regular floor, they’re using the same floor in both arenas. In other words, the games in Milwaukee didn’t use the Milwaukee Bucks NBA floor or even Marquette’s home floor. Somebody is paying for a 3rd floor for this arena.
What we’re seeing on TV is basically identical. Same giant NCAA logo at mid-court, same font for the arena name painted under each basket, and same NCAA-sponsored messages on the scorer’s table sitting prominently between both team benches. I’ve even heard that the press row folks can only drink their, soda, coffee or whatever, out of specific NCAA-approved cups.
I wonder how this uniformity benefits the NCAA. College basketball is supposed to be fun and a bit more celebratory than the NBA. But this logo overkill just reminds me that the NCAA is the same organization that treats all of its athletes the same, from the All-American Heisman-Trophy-winning quarterback down to the 3rd string goalie on the field hockey team. Why should they treat their basketball courts during the highest profile games of the year any differently?
Perhaps the NCAA brand would’ve benefited more throughout the tourney if it were seen less and its’ supposed ideals were demonstrated more.
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