I like the sound of a merged league, but come to think of it, here is why it is not going to be easy to put together:
1. Why stop with the UAAP & NCAA? Why not ask NAASCU and NCRAA to join in as well? But really, the best thing to do is to make the Collegiate Champions League the ONE TOURNAMENT THAT BINDS EVERYONE then keep everyone else where they are right now. Does anyone see the ACC, Big East and Big Ten merging? They're fine. They have their division/conference championship then if they qualify they all go to the Big Dance. But as a one shot season I'd say why not?
2. There are vastly different rules when it comes to the league. There is a reason why the balance of power has shifted to the NCAA. Their eligibility issues suck. Anyone can play in this league and do you even think that these kids study at all? Of course the UAAP is not squeaky clean but they are more stringent in their eligibility rules. The two leagues also have different skeds and the NCAA does not have as many sports. And that leads to...
3. Profit sharing. Now why would the UAAP want to share their ratings and revenue with the NCAA? With all due respect to the Grand Old League, they are a tough sell to advertisers. It was only the other year that the NCAA broke even when it came to TV sales and production expenses. But get this... Studio 23 sales had to tell advertisers that if they wanted in the UAAP then they have to make placements in the NCAA. Network insiders say that some placements were even given as bonuses.
As much I don't believe that our world is all Ateneo-La Salle, that's not how the advertisers think. One can argue that the other schools constitute the lower middle class etc. But the only time they pack the venue is when they go all the way. If you look at the PBA comparisons, during the time of the late-Commissioner Jun Bernardino, some board members would complain that Ginebra always got the prime time skeds. If they placed the Gin Kings at the top of the doubleheader they'd still complain they they were playing to a near empty house. Look, it's this simple... some teams have it, some teams don't.
4. The standings. It's true that merging both leagues will raise the level of competition. But not all the schools are as moneyed as the others, so would they want to go from #8 to #16? That would be the kiss of death to their recruitment. And speaking of recruitment, that would mean the UAAP will have a tough time mining the NCAA teams of their talent. And in turn will make the high school and grade school games even tougher as the recruitment there will go several notches higher. The battleground for league supremacy will be in their "homegrown" teams. and we will see even more crappy officiating.
5. And I am not sure I want to give one school two votes when it comes to board meetings. They should also learn from the PBA which for a time was maybe it still is -- a SMC league.
Make no mistake there are plenty of intriguing stories or match-ups that come with a proposed merger, but that's nothing the Champions League cannot solve. Maybe as a one-shot year, but really, I don't see that happening. It's a feel-good story, but after all, sports is still a business.
But if they can iron out all those kinks then let's go with this. Who knows, it just might be the start of something really good.
2. There are vastly different rules when it comes to the league. There is a reason why the balance of power has shifted to the NCAA. Their eligibility issues suck. Anyone can play in this league and do you even think that these kids study at all? Of course the UAAP is not squeaky clean but they are more stringent in their eligibility rules. The two leagues also have different skeds and the NCAA does not have as many sports. And that leads to...
3. Profit sharing. Now why would the UAAP want to share their ratings and revenue with the NCAA? With all due respect to the Grand Old League, they are a tough sell to advertisers. It was only the other year that the NCAA broke even when it came to TV sales and production expenses. But get this... Studio 23 sales had to tell advertisers that if they wanted in the UAAP then they have to make placements in the NCAA. Network insiders say that some placements were even given as bonuses.
As much I don't believe that our world is all Ateneo-La Salle, that's not how the advertisers think. One can argue that the other schools constitute the lower middle class etc. But the only time they pack the venue is when they go all the way. If you look at the PBA comparisons, during the time of the late-Commissioner Jun Bernardino, some board members would complain that Ginebra always got the prime time skeds. If they placed the Gin Kings at the top of the doubleheader they'd still complain they they were playing to a near empty house. Look, it's this simple... some teams have it, some teams don't.
4. The standings. It's true that merging both leagues will raise the level of competition. But not all the schools are as moneyed as the others, so would they want to go from #8 to #16? That would be the kiss of death to their recruitment. And speaking of recruitment, that would mean the UAAP will have a tough time mining the NCAA teams of their talent. And in turn will make the high school and grade school games even tougher as the recruitment there will go several notches higher. The battleground for league supremacy will be in their "homegrown" teams. and we will see even more crappy officiating.
5. And I am not sure I want to give one school two votes when it comes to board meetings. They should also learn from the PBA which for a time was maybe it still is -- a SMC league.
Make no mistake there are plenty of intriguing stories or match-ups that come with a proposed merger, but that's nothing the Champions League cannot solve. Maybe as a one-shot year, but really, I don't see that happening. It's a feel-good story, but after all, sports is still a business.
But if they can iron out all those kinks then let's go with this. Who knows, it just might be the start of something really good.
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