Branding Requires More Than a Logo

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.

Sports Gambling, Evolution and Type Size

Thirty years ago, the two most popular gambling sports were pro boxing and horse racing. The phrase “March Madness” had never been uttered, let alone trademarked. But today, the NCAA basketball tournament is now the greatest event for serious and amateur gamblers, while boxing and horse racing barely register.

There are many factors why this happened, but one reason you hardly ever hear is that the 64 team bracket is a perfectly designed work of art. It’s true and it’s a bigger deal than most university presidents will admit. Four perfect quadrants all with type just large enough to read “University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.” The 65th team play-in game is treated as an afterthought by designers and fans alike because it ruins the symmetry of the event.

Now, maybe you’ve heard that the NCAA powers-that-be are seriously considering expanding the tourney from 64 teams all the way to 96. They figure that if people love three weekends of action, they’ll love four that much more. Everybody wins when every team has a chance to win it all.

But while they might make money in the short-term by doing this, in the long-term this will turn off fans. Maybe not the fans of the 96 schools that make the tourney, but the people who plunk down $10 in their office pool and suddenly turn into basketball-crazed junkies for three weeks. This is basically the entirety of our dwindling workforce.

Think about it. These people show up to work Monday morning and some office drone has taken the initiative(!!!) to organize and gain support for everybody to enter a small amount of money for a chance to win a larger amount of money. All they have to do is fill in an 8.5x11 piece of paper. It's brilliant and simple. A 96-team bracket will be odd-shaped and uncomfortable with teams earning byes.

Horse racing and boxing lost their luster because they couldn’t adapt to the evolving needs of occasional gamblers. College basketball, you hit the nail on the head a few decades ago. Please don’t outsmart yourself and evolve into a niche sport too.