Div-II - Creating More Media Attention

[star2city]

The demand for college sports programming is increasing, including outlets like CSTV, regional sports networks, and direct access from Comcast and DirectTV. While Division II has had very limited coverage, with the football championship on ESPN, the men’s basketball on CBS, and women’s basketball on ESPN2, it can be marketed as a ‘purer’ non-big-business form of college athletics. The presentation of these events can be improved if the venue is modern, if the crowd is large and enthusiastic, if there is an accompanying festival atmosphere (concerts, social events, or coaches conferences) and if there is a decent tourist infrastructure (i.e. first class hotels, recreational opportunities). For the most part, Div II championship venues have not been impressive.

A number of other changes could be done to improve crowds and create more interest: delay championships to at least two weeks after the semifinals in football (or regionals in basketball), play the football championship indoors for more crowd noise, have a permanent Harlon Hill/Div II football “Hall”, play the men’s & women’s BB championships at the same location, make a deal with the men’s and women’s NIT so that the Div II champion would advance as an NIT semifinalist (48 teams for three Div I slots, 64 DII teams for one Div II slot), or get regular season national DII games of the week on a startup network like CSTV. If media facilities are already installed, the only expense a network like CSTV would have is to send the announcers to location. To get programming, CSTV or a group of local sports networks would probably broadcast even events like the Div-II volleyball or soccer championships (with no rights fee) if the expenses were minimal.

Obviously, the Ralph and Alerus and the existing Fighting Sioux Network media facilities provide many of the venue criteria, especially with the addition of the CANAD, the water park, and the Betty. Expect Ralph/Alerus/UND/Grand Forks to be bidding on the football(after 2006)/Bball (beyond 2005) and other Div II championships, which would bring media attention to UND, fill the venues more, and create a tourism stream. Certainly, Leo Ledohowski wouldn’t be putting $40 million into his biggest CANAD venture yet if he didn’t sense potential.

Interesting that one of the statements by Roger Thomas in his letter to UND students included this quote: “One of the things to bear in mind is some of the people complaining are the ones that have the authority to award home games, playoff berths, regional game sites and national championship venues.” There are certainly other interest groups in Grand Forks, beyond UND leadership, that want fan behavior, especially at football games, to be viewed positively by the NCAA.

[aff]

I doubt the NIT would ever give a spot up to D-II team. I think that any D-I team that got into that spot would be better than the D-II national champions, plus theres more money from a D-I school.

[Cratter]

I'd love to see UND/GF host National Championship games, but I have my doubts after all the controvery that was created after UND/Engelstad was awarded the Men's Elite Eight. The NCAA might not want that kind of controversy again and find it easier to just award it to another venue.