College basketball fans are used to it by now. Programs load up their schedule to play games in NBA arenas, international venues, and even baseball stadiums. Revenue growth and brand exposure drive these decisions, which will continue to be paramount in the NIL era.
While schools constantly review their bottom lines, the bottom line for local fans and students is that more and more contests are being held farther away from campus.
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With reduced inventory comes fewer chances for students to easily walk across campus to watch their team play. Additionally, schools already limit the number of complimentary tickets they allow students to claim.
It begs the question: Would college basketball be better off with a maximum number of off-campus games during the regular season?
College towns that rely on big-ticket hoops tilts in their area for adjacent business and economic sustenance would greatly benefit from such a cap.
Additionally, with the lines of amateur and professional basketball being blurred more than they ever have, returning more games to campus would maintain the spirit of what has made college basketball so captivating for decades.
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While programs would naturally be concerned about lost ticket revenue in larger arenas, the ever-ballooning broadcast rights piece of the equation will continue to allow power schools to make a lucrative amount of money.
College basketball can survive and even thrive by returning more games to campus. Giving students more opportunity to attend games only builds their connection to the program and increases their likelihood of attending games or donating money in the future as alumni.
It’ll be interesting to see if the NCAA sees this as a potential gift that would keep on giving, or if the status quo will continue to be the norm in the future.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: College basketball should limit off-campus regular-season games
