Changes coming as March Madness begins
Oregon pulled off a run of three wins in three days, capped by a championship that propelled the Ducks into the NCAA Tournament.
Standing on a makeshift stage next to the Pac-12 tournament trophy, the players danced and shouted as confetti fell in one big Las Vegas party.
With the revelry came the realization the moment was also a wake, a goodbye to a once-great conference that splintered amid a rapidly transforming college sports landscape.
“Part of me is really sad that this is not going to be here because like all the coaches in the league, I like to travel in the league and those things are all
going to change,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said. “But change is exciting also, even at my age. I am kind of looking forward to it. It’s going to be a different challenge.”
Change is naturally ingrained in college athletics, from the sheer number of schools, student-athletes and sports to the needs in a range of conferences big and small.
The process has been accelerating, chaos becoming the status quo as the college basketball season winds into March Madness.
Name, Image and Likeness has opened new revenue-earning opportunities for student-athletes once considered purely amateurs. With it, schools and coaches have had to adapt or get left behind. The NCAA has been forced to create new rules to keep up with the money flow.
The transfer portal has created a maelstrom of madness not limited to March, with programs practically starting over every season as players move through a revolving door that opens just as teams are preparing for the postseason.
The massive shifts have shaken the foundation of the NCAA, changing the governing organization’s structure as its tries to