College League Names Only Matter in the Big Sports

With the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments taking center stage in sports the next three weeks we will hear a lot about teams and their conferences.  How well will the Big East teams do in the tournament?  How about the Big 10?  Is the ACC really "down" this year?

All that is well and good in sports like football and basketball where all the schools in those leagues are represented in both.  That, however, is NOT the case in all the sports under the NCAA umbrella.

This weekend I am journeying to Columbia, Missouri for the Big 12 Conference women's gymnastics championship.  There will be some very fine gymnasts and teams represented.  Three of the schools are ranked in the top 20 nationally.  The problem is that only four schools will be in the finals because the Big 12 only has four schools that compete in women's gymnastics.

Three weeks ago I worked the Big 12 Swimming and Diving championships from Austin.  Both men and women's swimming and diving teams competed.  But only three men's teams exist in the Big 12, Texas, Texas A&M and Missouri.  For the women it is better.  Six schools field teams, but that is still only half the league.

None of this is an any way to castigate the Big 12 or the schools within.  It a common problem with college conferences all over the land.  Not all the teams in any league field the same sports.  As you know some of the schools in the highly regarded Big East basketball league do not even play football let alone all of the non revenue sports.  For years the Pac-10 had only six of their members playing baseball on the top level.  The baseball schools were known unofficially as the Six-Pac.

In the highly ranked Big 10 not everyone plays hockey.  But schools like Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan State often draw as well or better than their basketball teams.

So how are these disparities handled?  In many cases separate leagues have formed only for those sports.  Hockey, for example, is quite regional.  Those Big 10 teams that play hockey don't play it in the Big 10.  They play it in a separate league that includes non Big 10 schools, but schools who emphasize hockey.

The same thing exists in wrestling and bowling.  Separate leagues that pit schools from the same regions have formed. Swimming and Diving (in some cases),  Lacrosse,  Volleyball, Rowing, Field Hockey and Soccer are other sports that might be ripe for more regionally based leagues that go outside the boundaries of the football/basketball loops.

So, I ask, why not do the same in sports like gymnastics and swimming and diving.  After Nebraska leaves the Big 12 there will be only three women's gymnastics teams in the league.  Over in the SEC there are only four.  So why not merge into a gymnastics only league?  Presuming the competition level is high enough why not consider adding Texas Women's University to the loop?

These thoughts are all part of a way to cut the costs of college athletics a bit--especially the travel for the mostly non revenue sports.  If you can find enough schools in closer proximity to forming a sport specific alliance go for it.  The guys and gals who play the big sports for the big leagues won't be affected, but making some changes in the non revenue levels may just eliminate the need to cut some sports down the line.