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Monday, March 12Small schools can come up big
By Wayne Drehs
ESPN.com
Dean Billick thought he understood NCAA Tournament euphoria. Having been to the Big Dance nine times as an athletics administrator at Pittsburgh, he had been the favorite. He had been the underdog. He had seen it all. Or so he thought. Then came last year, when Billick, now the athletics director at tiny Lamar, watched the Cardinals win the Southland Conference tournament, earning a trip to the big time. And on Selection Sunday, when it was finalized that the school of 8,600 in Beaumont, Texas, would face No. 1 Duke in the opening round, Billick's point of view was forever changed. "When it finally became official, you should have seen the looks on our kids' faces. It was overwhelming," Billick said. "Right then and there, I understood why the smaller schools are such an important part of the tournament. "There's just that feeling of knowing that you belong and having a genuine appreciation for the road that brought you here. It was something I never imagined. It totally caught me by surprise." That feeling of euphoria, of belonging among the Dukes, Carolinas and UCLAs of the college basketball world, is one of the things that will be evident Tuesday night when Northwestern State and Winthrop battle it out in the first 64-65 play-in game. Sure, the teams may be anonymous, the stands may only be half-full and the television ratings may be unimpressive, but that doesn't mean the game is meaningless. Even more important than advancing to play Illinois, the Midwest's top seed, is a chance to boast a tournament victory. And just appearing in the tournament, not to mention winning in it, can be a major economic boost for a smaller school. Not only do they receive their share from making the tournament, but boosts in ticket and apparel sales, corporate sponsorships and donations to the athletics department are all by-products of making the NCAA field. "It has a major effect because for us smaller schools, we only get one or two days to be in the sun," said C.J. Jones, athletics director for Central Connecticut, which made the tournament last year for the first time. "The fact that we are in the heart of UConn territory, but managed to get articles in every major paper in the region, including the New York papers and the Washington Post, plus a national feature story on CBS, that sort of advertising is priceless." So, don't tell Jones or Billick that Tuesday's 64-65 game is worthless. Though some call the game a farce and others call it the result of poor planning, Jones and Billick are not among them. It's free national TV exposure on TNN. "I'm glad they upped the number because it means so much for the players and the fans just to get in," Billick said. "I don't think people on the outside realize that. And the underdogs are part of the charm of the Final Four. Everybody loves the Valparaisos, the Gonzagas and the Coppin States of the world." Because of last year's tournament appearance, Lamar's first in 17 years, Billick saw a 17-percent increase in season ticket sales and an 18- percent increase in donations to the athletics department. At Central Connecticut, Jones sold all 300 reserved season tickets, and sold 60 more general admission season tickets. Athletics department donations jumped 26 percent and enrollment saw a three-percent bump, all due in part, Jones says, to the exposure of last year's tournament appearance. "We don't have these people giving us $20,000 and $30,000 donations," Jones said. "The biggest I've ever seen related to all this might be a $10,000 check. So small schools live on $500 here and $25 there. It all adds up. And the visibility of playing in the tournament leads a lot of old alumni to open up their checkbooks and give us a call." Jones also said that last year's tournament appearance should give him more leverage next year when negotiating a new apparel contract with Reebok and a soft-drink contract with Coca-Cola. In addition, two of Central Connecticut's 2000 games were on the Madison Square Garden cable network, with that contract expected to be renewed next year. Jones said a couple of local television affiliates are also interested in airing some CCSU games next season. While these factors are all quantifiable, other benefits from making the tournament are not so easily measured. David M. Carter, principal of The Sports Business Group, a California-based sports marketing firm, says playing in the NCAA Tournament is the equivalent of a two-hour university commercial. Not only does that help recruit potential students, but it also provides a venue for current players and coaches to make a name for themselves. Such was the case in 1999, when Gonzaga coach Dan Monson led the Zags to the Sweet 16 and then bolted for Minnesota. That same year, current Iowa coach Steve Alford used a Sweet 16 trip with Southwest Missouri State to bolster his candidacy with the Hawkeyes. "It's OK to be from a small school as a coach because if you win one or two games, you are instantly identified as a guy that can take the next big job," Carter said. "Coaches constantly use this platform to market themselves. You can't blame them." It's also a chance to market the university. When coach Howie Dickenman first arrived at Central Connecticut four years ago, an empty picture frame sat in the locker room with the words, "Central Connecticut's first Division I winning team" inscribed on it. His recruiting pitch then was to "come help turn things around." Now in the locker room rests a framed picture of the scoreboard at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. It reads Iowa State 69 - Central Connecticut 69, 6:04 to go. Above the picture are the words, "Unfinished Business." The recruiting pitch has changed to, "come play for a winner." "When I first called kids, I had to tell them about this place, tell them where we were located, and that we were in Division I," Dickenman said. "Now, they recognize the name. They'll bring up the Iowa State game. Kids identify with winning programs so we've tried to milk this as much as we could." Lamar coach Mike Deane, who also coached tourney teams at Siena and Marquette, said the true boost in recruiting won't be felt until this year's class. "What it does is give you instant credibility, not only for the kids you are going after right then and there, but with players after that," Deane said. "Playing in the NCAAs gave us a lot of things we could send to recruits this year telling them how great our program is." For both Lamar and Central Connecticut, though, this year wasn't their year. Lamar, which graduated three starters from their 2000 team, finished 9-18, while Central Connecticut went 14-14, following a host of injuries. Thus, the message for Northwestern State and Winthrop is a simple one: Take some time to look around and enjoy yourself while you're here; you never know when you may get back. "No matter how much you play up the whole Cinderella, when it all shakes down, the suspects that survive are ultimately close to the same," Carter said. "It all works out as a wash. The tournament is marketed so those smaller teams get their moment in the sun, a chance to enjoy it, and then they go home." And Billick wouldn't have it any other way.
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  The head coaches comment on Tuesday's showdown for the 64th spot in the tournament.avi: 2170 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 | ||
