Mid Major Relevancy?
Earlier in the football season the ever so infamous Mike Hart of Michigan eluded to the Spartans of Michigan State as being the University of Michigan’s little brother. Hart will long be remembered for his mouth but what he said in this instance actually made sense to me; albeit in an entirely different context. If MSU is the younger brother of Michigan well then the mid major schools are the step children of the top dogs. What is the relevancy of a mid major program anyway?
Before I move on let me preface the argument with this. It is entirely understandable if” you played your sport at that school, a family member plays a sport there, you hold a degree from there (although this ranks much lower on the scale). Moving on …..
Sure, schools like Boise State, Toledo, Hawaii, George Mason, etcetera have all served a purporse. Typically it is the role of whipping boy, however, lately the mid major has made some in roads to the top. The 2006 football Broncos of Boise State being the most recent (no we won’t debate one-loss Hawaii from 2007).
To me though, their relevancy ends there … right there. It’s fun to have an underdog to cheer for and by golly its fun when it’s not Northwestern all the time. Outside of their underdog role though I see no reason to be a huge fan of a mid major school. Sorry, just can’t.
This past football season I attended the Toledo - Iowa State football game at The Glass Bowl in Toledo with my wife and some friends of ours. I had picked this game out due to the fact that a Big 12 team was coming into the Glass Bowl and I find Gene Chizik to be one heck of a coach. That was the extent of my interest. I did not take the game very seriously nor had I ever taken a Toledo game very seriously; its Toledo for crying out loud!!
So as we’re sitting there (mostly bored by the terrible play mind you) I couldn’t help but be astonished at the fandom sitting in front of me. These three men were absolutely holding on to every play like it would be the deciding factor if their oxygen machines ceased working and therefore they ceased ….. oh, you get it. I don’t understand, its Toledo!
We’re talking mid majors here … not a game …. but mid majors … not the game I have grown to love and die for but mid majors. Oh, nevermind, Allen Iverson’s ‘we’re talking ’bout practice’ bit will always be better than any parody I can attempt. But seriously … mid major. They’re never going to win a national title and I am not just talking football.
So what’s the point … why get all worked up over a mid major if you’re not bringing home NCAA hardware? Who cares if you can make the dance if you don’t stand a chance!
What was the last mid major school to win an NCAA football title? Good God, I can’t think of that off the top of my head either (it was 1984 BYU). Over the past six years the highest average ranking of a mid major school is 9.8 in the AP poll with 2004 Utah being the highest rated in that period at fourth.
Surely, it must be different in other sports … right? Nope. March Madness is no different. Sure, George Mason (whoever he is) made a Final Four run in 2006 but no mid major has won the dance since UNLV in 1990 and in the last ten years the Madness has been conquered by a team from either the SEC, ACC, Big East, or Big Ten.
Hockey … nope. Wrestling, forget about it. Did you know since 1989 either Minnesota, Iowa, or Oklahoma State has won the NCAA Wrestling title. Yeah, three schools. Suck on that parity.
Well surely, women’s sports must be different. Forget about it. Women’s basketball hasn’t seen a mid major win it since 1985 with Old Dominion. Heck, UConn tore off the threepeat from 2002-2004.
I even went looking for oddball champions, baseball and softball because of the perceived advantage by southern and western schools due to weather being nicer and getting better practice time. Not even there do you find a lot of success for the mid major. In baseball only twice in the last ten years has a school not represented by one of the big six conferences won the title. Softball over that same time period …. once.
So clearly, yes, there is that flash in the pan chance that a school might pull a 1984 BGSU NCAA Hockey Championship like season but it’s nothing more than that. When was the last time BGSU was relevant in the CCHA let alone the NCAA?
Point to budgets, point to TV access, point to whatever it is you want. I am pointing to championships and pride. I will always take pride in reaching the summit, the NCAA title. While the view from the plateau is always nice the view from the top is always finest.
January 27th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
You know I have to comment on this one. You know my experience with Toledo football…and that I’m trying to get an internship with the MAC this summer. But, I will channel my dad for this one.
He loves him Buckeyes. But, after seeing the game at the Big House 10 years ago, or something like that, he doesn’t want to see it live again. Why? Since it’s all about the money, they cram people in like sardines and that wasn’t why he wanted to go to a game. You go to enjoy the sport being played in front of you. You can’t do that when you can’t breath from being stuck in the middle of that many people.
Going to see a game at the Glass Bowl is different. Tailgating is great there. You’re not crammed in there, and you can sit and enjoy a game. I love watching football games live, period. Shoot, I watch high school games because I love the sport (and because Jerry’s brother in law is an assistant coach of one). It comes down to love of the game.
I think that’s what you saw at that Toledo game. Who cares if there’s no national title on the line? School pride is on the line. No matter how crappy the season, the UT/BGSU game is always exciting to go to because it’s all about pride.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Well I have to say I must disagree with you. I would much rather go see a game at UT than at Michigan or OSU. I agree with Leslie when she states that at the Big schools attendence is all about money and it is no fun watching the game being crammed in like sardines, especially when you are mildly clausterphobic! Yes there is no national title but to some that doesn’t matter, it is more about pride in the team!
Great blogs by the way. Sorry I haven’t been able to comment on all of them. Time restraints are tight here! Keep up the great work! I love your writing.
January 28th, 2008 at 12:02 am
Oregon State, while in a major conference, is not exactly a major school.
Sometimes, rooting for any school is a product of one’s family. It would explain people I know who went to Michigan State but root for Ohio State as if someone’s life were in danger without it.
January 28th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Jake,
Oregon State has won the past two NCAA titles in baseball.
Lesley/Cindy,
For love of watching the game is an angle I didn’t assume in this argument.
There is still nothing that compares to the roar of the crowd in the ‘Shoe when the Buckeyes enter the field. While to Gene Smith the only thing that may matter is those dollar signs to the 100,000 Buckeyes there is something special. I would dare to say it’s the same at the Big House. That’s something I’ve never had at a UT game.
The only thing I’ve ever enjoyed at a UT game is that annoying little ditty they play after every first down.
January 31st, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Keith you suck
May 26th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Dude, you are totally clueless when it comes to collegiate hockey. Non-BCS schools have won NUMEROUS NCAA DI hockey championships.
Denver: 7 (1958, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1969, 2004, 2005)
North Dakota: 7 (1959, 1963, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1997, 2000)
Boston University: 4 (1971, 1972, 1978, 1995)
Lake Superior State: 3 (1988, 1992, 1994)
Michigan Tech: 3 (1962, 1965, 1975)
Maine: 2 (1993, 1999)
Rensselaer: 2 (1954, 1985)
Cornell: 2 (1967, 1970)
Colorado College: 2 (1950, 1957)
Northern Michigan: 1 (1991)
Harvard: 1 (1989)
Bowling Green: 1 (1984)
If you’re keeping track, that’s more than half of the past 20 DI hockey titles.
And a Big Ten fan has no business talking smack about college baseball. Non-BCS schools have won 5 CWS titles in the last 20 seasons (Wichita state in ‘89, Pepperdine in ‘92, Fullerton in ‘95 and ‘04, and Rice in ‘03). The last Big Ten school to even make the CWS was Michigan in 1984. Since then, non-BCS teams have made **41** CWS appearances. So who’s the “mid-major” in baseball, hmm?
Let’s not get started on the Memphis/Michigan State game, cool?
And just because the only non-BCS football played in your neck of the woods is by MAC teams doesn’t mean other non-BCS schools aren’t passionate about theirs. BYU averages 60K+ a game, Utah about 40K (45K stadium). Boise State has sold out every game for more than three decades and plans to expand to 50K in the near future. East Carolina averaged 30-35K through four years of HORRIBLE football and still drew better than two ACC schools in their own state (last year they averaged 41.5K).
May 27th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Kingman, dude, first off all … its hard to reference BCS schools in hockey considering many schools have ditched hockey programs and smaller schools that have historical advantages in the sport still maintain great programs … like North Dakota, Maine, BU, or Denver. Look at the CCHA for example you have schools like LSSU, BGSU, Alaska-Fairbanks, Miami-OH, playing in a league that includes U of M, MSU, Ohio State, and Notre Dame. Hockey is a different animal; perhaps I should not have included it in my argument due to this.
Baseball could much be the same way although most BCS school still maintain baseball programs. Although of those 4 schools mentioned all are warmer climate schools (maybe not Wichita) so maybe there is a practice/climate advantage. Ever play baseball in Ohio in April … it sucks.
Your statistical analysis simply took from a larger population sample. Had you been paying any sort of attention you’d see I used the last 10 years as an example in all sports.
Sure there is always an argument to be made about relevancy and yours is somewhat valid. I appreciate the commentary but I still can’t agree with you. When you look at revenue producing sports that all schools participate in the mid major relevancy is minimal at best. I have nothing against those schools … I attended two of them and I do enjoy attending all types of sporting events. However, in the grand/national scheme of things the mid majors just don’t hold the relevancy they used to. For example 25 of those 36 titles in hockey you referenced came before 1990 and only 3 since 2000. It all depends on how you look at it and the closer we get to 2008 the fewer and fewer championships we see being won by smaller schools.
Its the truth and sometimes the truth hurts.
July 1st, 2008 at 5:24 pm
All I have left to say is:
…..HOW ‘BOUT THEM BULLDOGS BABY!!!!!