Conference Tournaments Are Too Gruesome for Players

The NCAA needs to monitor the 31 Division I conference tournaments across the nation. Players on these teams are getting absolutely worn out by playing multiple grueling, intense, and physical games in a row. Despite the drama and intrigue associated with Championship Week, teams often cannot physically recover in time for the NCAA Tournament, which comes a mere four or five days after the major conference championship games.

For instance, the Big East Tournament is one of the most prestigious conference tournaments in college basketball, since it is held in Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena. Over the past decade, since the conference expanded to an unprecedented 16 teams, the Big East has clearly been the most competitive division in college basketball. In fact, this year alone, the Big East can potentially send eight or nine teams into the NCAA Tournament, which would equal or surpass the amount of teams the Big East sent to the tournament earlier this decade, with eight in 2006.

However, for teams who do not receive the double bye in the Big East Tournament (those not in the top 4 in the conference), they must play four, or sometimes five, consecutive days to win the championship. One team in particular, the 2009 Syracuse Orangemen, played four consecutive days, including a six overtime thriller against Connecticut, during the tournament. That’s 195 minutes of live basketball action in four straight days, which is WAY too much for a team.

Due to the over-exertion of their bodies, Syracuse could not maintain the same level of play in the following week’s NCAA Tournament. After two less than stellar performances in the first two rounds against Stephen F. Austin and Arizona State, the Orangemen were absolutely demolished by the Oklahoma Sooners in the Sweet 16, 84-71 (the score did not indicate how much of a blowout the game actually was), even though they had the personnel to defeat the Sooners. To make matters worse, Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn injured himself in the Oklahoma game, after logging nearly 180 minutes of game action in the Big East Tournament.

While playing high-intense action for multiple days in a row, players face a greater risk of battling an injury. Teams only play a maximum of two games per week during conference play, while never playing two consecutive days. Then, the most successful teams in the conference tournaments suddenly need to endure four straight days of grueling action in Championship Week. Because of the modest amount of games during conference play, players cannot handle the rapid increase in action.

Their bodies have only undergone two days a week of game action, and then they are forced to play four games in a row? That logic does not make any sense at all. The primary reason for these conference tournaments is money, as the NCAA and the respective conferences generate tremendous revenue from these tournaments. However, the timing of these conference tournaments could not come at a worse time, as the NCAA Tournament is played the following week of the tournament.

Last year, the national champion North Carolina Tar Hells steamrolled the competition in the NCAA Tournament, winning all six games by double figures. Their NCAA Tournament success can largely be attributed to their health, as they did not have to expend too much energy in the ACC Tournament, as they lost to Florida State in the semifinals. UNC only played two games in the ACC Tournament and looked mentally and physically sharp during the main tournament.

The NCAA should not eliminate the conference tournaments as a whole but should make drastic changes to avoid the potential risks of player injuries and worn out teams. First, they should give days off between each tournament games, to keep teams fresh for the tournament run. If that means cutting short the regular season by two games, that would make sense, as teams can play these postseason games with the highest caliber of play.

Second, they should conclude these postseason conference tournaments at least one week prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament. That way, teams will be mentally and physically sharp once tournament time begins.

Postseason tournaments are a necessity, since teams on the bubble can drastically improve their stock and have a chance at reaching the NCAA Tournament. However, the current format of these postseason tournaments cripples teams and creates a larger potential risks for injuries.