The Husky Haul
Fansided

NCAA needs Pac-12 National Champion team, say Washington Football?

By Bret Stuter

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 31: A detailed view of a Washington Huskies fan before the 2016 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome on December 31, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 31: A detailed view of a Washington Huskies fan before the 2016 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome on December 31, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 28: Defensive back Myles Bryant
SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 28: Defensive back Myles Bryant /

5. NCAA needs parity

That regional dominance of the NCAA may do well and good for those football programs, but does not do much for the sport as a whole. After all, the interest of the general public rises proportinately with uncertainty.  The less you know, the more you want to see. And viewership that rises creates larger markets, better advertising, and more lucrative television contracts.

And without parity in the league, fans of winning teams lose interest because.. they win. Fans of losing teams lose interest because … the lose.  It’s only when the nation as a whole is surprised by the outcome that fanbases mobilize to support their teams.

A new winning team fanbase rushes to shout from the mountaintops with merchandising and patronage that they are the new champion.  Former winning team fanbases rush to defend their team’s heritage, and renew their vigilance to reclaim their former top-seed.

When everything is said and done, it’s about fan passion. The more predictable the sport, the less emotional fans become.  The most exciting games in the sport’s history are those games where the outcome was decided in the closing seconds. That sort of thrill cannot be replicated in repetitious championships. The real thrill of the sport comes at the moment expectations do not meet outcomes.

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