Editorial: No basketball postseason casts spotlight on other sports

The NCAA in June officially banned the UConn men?s basketball team from postseason play, a ban includes not just the NCAA national tournament, but the Big East tournament and National Invitational Tournament as well. While UConn students are not thrilled with this decision ? we at the Daily Campus are certainly not jumping for joy ? every cloud has a silver lining. In this case, the various other sports UConn offers may get the long-overdue attention they deserve. And no, we don?t just mean football.

Take the men?s ice hockey team, for example. In June, the hockey program was admitted into Hockey East, the most competitive division in the country boasting four of the last five national champions. This announcement reflects an understanding that UConn can compete at the same level (or at least close to it) as such perennial powerhouses as Boston College and Boston University. Once the move takes effect in 2014, demand for tickets is expected to be so high that games will be moved to the 15,635-seat XL Center in Hartford. But for now, you can still see them in the current 2,000-seat Frietas Ice Forum on campus.

Or take the men?s soccer team. If you want to see a UConn team compete for the championship this year, this squad might be your best bet. The team is currently ranked No. 5 nationally in the NCAA weekly rankings and advanced to the national quarterfinals last year before losing in penalty kicks. Already one of the most popular sports on campus, their popularity this year could eclipse its previous highs.

There are several other examples: UConn has teams in swimming, diving, tennis, track and field, lacrosse, field hockey and more.

And that is not even mentioning the most attractive feature: price, specifically, the lack of it. Most sports on campus are either free or cost next to nothing ? season tickets for men?s soccer costs a mere $10 this year, less than the per game cost of football or basketball. With the price of everything from tuition to textbooks going up, such events provide no-cost or low-cost ways to have fun.

Sure, we all wish the men?s basketball team could compete for the championship this year, an event they won a mere year and a half ago. But instead of simply lamenting the lost opportunities for the sport UConn revolves around, let us instead find additional sports to revolve around. Who knows? Perhaps the effects could last beyond this year alone, and the university could see an athletics program where almost every sport yields high turnout and maximum student pride.

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Source: http://www.dailycampus.com/commentary/editorial-no-basketball-postseason-casts-spotlight-on-other-sports-1.2889767

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