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

Crowning the NCAA national champion is a huge honor for any football team. But after years of east coast dominance, college football would benefit greatly by crowning a Pac-12 team as champion, say Washington Football?

There is a little known secret in the Pacific Northwest. The Washington Football team is good. Good enough to be in the conversations over the the national title?  Perhaps.  But convincing the rest of the nation is a constant and perennial uphill battle. Thanks to time zones and televised programming, the choicest programming slots run to the eastern seaboard teams.

Now, the NCAA National Football Champion stands as of the most coveted and famous college titles. For good reason, as teams must endure a season which begins in the summer, and carries them through to the cusp of spring. All the while, all teams launch players to the NFL via the draft, recruit new talent, and start it all over again.

Right now, the NCAA is in a bit of a rut. Since 1991 – a year Miami and Washington shared the national title – the Pac-12 has claimed the top prize of NCAA football just twice. In 2003-04, USC has laid claim to the title. During those 17 years, the lion’s share of the championships have been claimed by Alabama six times, Florida State three times, Nebraska three times, and Florida three times.

With each “run” of national titles under one collegiate banner, the overall sport diminishes. Why? Well an outcome with a certain percentage of certainty merely falls within expectations.  That does little to shock fans, and without that component of shock, it’s not newsworthy.

Most certainly, the headlines will cover it. But the interest of fans, the true market for NCAA football, soon turns their attention to other matters of less certainty. Ultimately, the NCAA needs a Pac-12 champion. Here are five reasons why:

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.

4. Coaching makes a difference

Not all college programs are created equal. For those programs who have superior coaching, players careers tend to launch higher in the NFL than expectations. But that is not the deciding factor for many young men. On one hand, some prefer proximity to home. On the other hand, some prefer the stage of nationally televised coverage. Alternatively, some seek warmer temperatures. Still others actually seek an academic program which aligns with their scholastic goals.

But despite the reasons for a young athlete for choosing a school, the path they must travel is different for each school.  Each football program must recruit new talent to the football team. And despite the sense of individual talents, it’s the coaching staff which must elevate the play of those athletes to a championship tier.

Injuries and scheme have their impacts. Depth and opportunity play a part as well. But success attracts talent. So without a single conversation, teams which have hoisted the national trophy begin far ahead of other football programs in attracting new talent. Similarly, national media plays a huge factor in affording advantages to football programs.  Teams which land in the nation’s prime time frequently tout that exposure to young athletes.

Ultimately, a minor factor for football hopefuls is the success rate of launching NFL careers. That is almost entirely dependant upon the quality of coaching.  While that plays a huge role in getting college players to the professional level, few athletes seem to weigh out those decisions against that outcome.

Right now, the Washington Football program has an admirable success rate of launching athletes into NFL careers. That success rate would be highlighted by a national championship. What does that do? Simply stated, the path to success via hard work and dedication gets another boost. A solid work ethic and teamwork is the right message on the national stage right now.

3. Celebrity heroism is on the decline in this nation

There will always be a component of the American population which opts to follow celebrities. People whose lives they wish to emulate, and who, whether by athleticism or acting, are part of the nation’s entertainment. In fact, it’s what we do to distract ourselves from the cares and worries of daily life.

Celebrity heroism factor is on the wane. Between reality shows (where we see far too much) and scandalous news, famous people are now portrayed with fewer and fewer admirable qualities. The NCAA championship elevates a team to the national stage.

In the process, young men automatically become living examples of youth who want to achieve their own lofty goals. In a time of numerous scandals, it’s difficult to find a hero.

The Washington Football team has no such scandals. In fact, it’s the type of scholastic program which advocates education, athleticism, and encourages players to find a good balance. That is not to say that the program offers casual participation. Worthwhile goals require dedication and training. UW simply offers the type of coaching and techniques to help players achieve their goals.

And the team is not immune to disciplinary problems. But the program has a reputation of self-policing. While other Pac-12 programs offer similarly enviable cultures, none dispute the empowerment infused in the Washington Football program. At UW, “next man up” is reality, which means regardless of where a player falls on the depth chart, they must be physically and mentally prepared to contribute each and every game.

2. Coach Petersen shoots straight

Counter to the grain of polarization and mixed truth, Washington Football head coach Chris Petersen is a refreshing breath of honesty. And that is an enigma to national sports media. You see, when a production crew arrives, they are used to the host team bending over backwards to accomodate their schedule.

Coach Chris Petersen does no such thing. In fact, he maintains original commitments of his time, which has offended broadcasters in the past. Beyond that, Coach Petersen made it a point to comment about the late time of Washington game broadcasts.  That in turn prompted ESPN to protest their treatment at the hands of Petersen.

But the matter boiled over when, during a live broadcast of a Washington game, ESPN punctuated its disdain of the Huskies by declaring opponents as “cupcakes”.  The public attempt to shame Washington backfired miserably.  But the point ESPN made was not so easily dismissed. A national sports network revealed the unspoken bias inherent within the television community.

Coach Petersen dared to reveal that bias, and in the process placed it on public display. Now, the best cure to heal this disparity is to prove the case that west coast teams can compete and defeat east coast opponents. The nation needs to witness that event quickly.  Bias is difficult to uproot if it is given a chance to grow.

1. NCAA wins in parity and diversity

NCAA football, regardless of any other classification, is sports entertainment. As such, the product needs a market. As the sport’s uppermost accolades land on a limited number of teams, that market shrinks accordingly.

That is not to say that fans will not attend games, nor buy a coffee mug.  But the burst of viewing broadcasts and record merchandising simply does not take place until the championship changes hands. After all, NCAA football generates revenue for NCAA colleges and universities.

There is an even greater benefit to an NCAA conference as a result of a member team winning the national title. The spotlight on academic programs, other organized athletics, and sister schools aids the entire conference.

Even in the absence of a Washington Football team title, a Pac-12 title brings national attention to the Huskies. By competing with a national champion, other teams are lauded as well. If UCLA, Oregon, Stanford, or USC win a national title, Washington’s reputation at the national sports level rises.

Today, there is far too much attention upon the Alabama Crimson Tide. That is not to say that the team has not earned it’s place in NCAA football. But now, the team is as much about their reputation as their current accomplishments. Practically any recruit offered a scholarship at Alabama gives that team their first look.

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A Pac-12 national champion restores some balance to the playing field.  Top recruits go to the best football programs, and oftentimes that is gauged by national titles. Placing a west coast team in the winner’s circle redirects some top talent away from Alabama. While that will make their recruiting more difficult, it will help distribute talent across a greater number of football programs.

The goal of NCAA football is not to generate dynasties. It’s to promote parity and opportunity. With the number of schools winning a national championship, the level of bias among the nations television networks and sports writers becomes ever more entrenched.  For the good of the NCAA and college football, a new champion is needed now.  Opportunity in the NCAA should be as evenly distributed as possible.