March 20, 2003
This week, one of the most beloved sporting events anywhere gets underway, as the 2003 NCAA Men's Basketball Championships opens with first and second round action all over the country. What a fantastic time this part of the calendar is for all sports fans!
This years' tournament will not only provide its usual amount of excitement, but it appears it will also provide a release for many Americans. With our country on the verge of war with Iraq, the NCAA tournament may be the breather from 24-hour coverage of a possible war that our country needs.
Each year during a three-week period in mid-March and early April a cross-section of our population turns its attention to this event. Many are rabid sports fans that know each roster of the 65 tournament participants, top to bottom! But what makes the NCAA Tournament so unique is that it captures the attention of not just the passionate fans, but also the casual viewing public. Unlike any other event, it seems to capture the imagination of a number of different entities. For example, we received a request for tickets from the popular recording artist, Nelly, for our games this weekend in Indianapolis. All across the land, office pools and other activities help draw people to the tournament.
Television is the singular reason this event has reached the record heights it has achieved in recent times. As many as 136.1 million fans tuned into CBS to watch the 2002 tournament, up three percent from the 133 million in 2001. A record 43.5 million fans watched all or part of last year's championship game between Maryland and Indiana. Think of the exposure each school receives from appearing during this three-week run. Schools could never afford to purchase that type of publicity. But it isn't just the athletic departments that benefit. Each institution feels the impact of an appearance in an event the magnitude such as the NCAA Tournament. Could admissions, alumni relations, or other campus entities ever manage to capture this concentrated type of attention for a University? Absolutely not! This is just one example of why we believe that college athletics really is the "front porch" of a university, an avenue that can help increase the exposure and profile of a school, and amplify awareness of the fine institutions that we all love so much.
As you think about the impact of the NCAA Tournament, ask yourself a question. How many of you knew what a Saluki was prior to last year's tourney?
I cannot express to you how proud I am of our basketball program's achievement of a fifth straight trip to the NCAA's field of 65! In each of his four years as the head coach at Missouri, Quin Snyder has led his team to the NCAA Tournament, and that makes Mizzou one of only 18 schools to make each of the last four Tournaments. We've tried to research how many coaches have accomplished that feat in their first four years as a collegiate head coach, but have been unable to come up with a definitive answer at this point in time. But I can tell you with hesitation, the list will not be long! In each of the last four seasons, we've watched our program advance a little further than the previous year, which is remarkable, when you consider how competitive the field is each year. In Coach Snyder's first season, eventual Final Four participant North Carolina beat them in the first round. In year two, the Tigers used a Clarence Gilbert corner jumper to beat Georgia in the first round, before losing to national champion Duke in the second round. Last year, it was a remarkable run to the "Elite Eight," before being edged by Final Four participant Oklahoma.
Who knows what's in store this year for our Tigers? As the number six seed in the Midwest Region, Mizzou opens play Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis against the Salukis of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. SIU won the Missouri Valley Conference's regular season title and were last year's Cinderella team, taking out Georgia and Texas Tech in rounds one and two, before losing to Connecticut.
As the games begin, I encourage everyone to sit back and enjoy the show. While we're doing our best to make a successful run through the Tournament, our thoughts and prayers are with our troops overseas. While we get caught up in the hoopla (no pun intended) of the "Big Dance" over the next few weeks, let us not forget the sacrifices being made by our brave men and women. It is their dedication and loyalty to our country that gives us all the opportunity to enjoy something as wonderful as the NCAA Tournament.
As always, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my column. If you have any comments or questions about this topic, or anything else regarding athletics or issues at Mizzou, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at aldenm@missouri.edu.