Why Amateur Basketball Is Better Than Pro Basketball

Why Amateur Basketball Is Better Than Pro Basketball

NCAA (National Colligate Athletic Association) Basketball is the most entertaining basketball league. When compared to other leagues, such as the NBA (National Basketball Association), it becomes clear as to why it is more entertaining. I'm going to outline a few of the reason why colligate basketball is the most enjoyable basketball to watch. Competitiveness, tournaments, style of play, player ego, and atmosphere are the main reasons why NCAA basketball is the most entertaining basketball league.

Established in 1906, NCAA stands for National Colligate Athletic Association. The association was created to protect amateur athletes, especially those playing football. Over time, it engulfed all of college sports, basketball included (NCAA, 2012). Today, there is a lot of speculation over how much longer the traditional NCAA establishment will be around. The conjecture is because of the amount of money college athletics brings in, while the student-athletes see none of the cash (Toporek, 2011). The amount of money being made in college athletics is a direct correlation to the amount of entertainment satisfaction people get from watching these sports.

One of the main reasons the NCAA is the best basketball league is because of its competitiveness. In any given year of college basketball, there are at least twenty teams that are good enough to win the championship. In the NBA, however, it is generally apparent by early rounds in the tournament to which team will win. Also, the different conferences of the NCAA are usually competitive with each other (Chase, 2004). This makes for two months of exciting basketball to watch. On any given night an upset can occur. For example, this past season an unranked Indiana team defeated number one ranked Kentucky (Allison/Goethals, 2011). The top team in the NBA will never lose to a bottom ranked team. College basketball is most definitely the most competitive league.

March Madness is by far the most entertaining basketball tournament to watch. Each March, 68 teams are invited to participate in the NCAA Tournament. Within five days the field of 68 is eroded down to just 16. More than likely the best teams in the league make it to the Sweet Sixteen. There are, however, exceptions. Last year, VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) an unheard of school from a small conference stunned the sports world when they made it to the Final Four (Allison/Goethals, 2011). An underdog team in the NBA could never make it to the tournament championship.

The NBA uses a 'best out of seven' series to decide each round of the NBA Playoffs. This makes for a long, boring tournament. The NCAA Tournament uses a 'one and done' format. Every team is guaranteed to show up for every game of the tournament. The college teams competing only have 40 minutes to prove that they can move on. The chance of underdogs and hard play makes for an exciting March.

Style of play is another big factor when comparing the NCAA to other leagues. Colligate athletes