We watched the wrong March Madness

No, I’m not talking about the women’s tournament. That’s for another day. Pittsburgh sports media could not get enough out of the fact that for the first time since 2011, Pitt, Penn State, and WVU all qualified for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

But every year, there is better college hoops to be seen, and it comes from 11 schools, all within an hour and a half’s drive from the Steel City.

March Madness brings in 80 million filled-out brackets, $10 billion on sports gambling bets, and nearly $1 billion in revenue. The commercialization is out of control, and we all roll our eyes at the latest NIL headlines, where college players are beginning to rake in dollar amounts competitive to NBA salaries. College basketball has lost its hometown spark.

There are virtually zero NIL deals in the Division III world, where no athletic scholarships can even be offered. It’s pure basketball, and it’s good stuff. Thousands of students and fans flocked to the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Tournament this year, eventually seeing Pittsburgh’s Chatham University take the upset victory.

Homegrown talent, passionate, tenured coaches, and true student-athletes. That’s what you get when you watch Division III basketball. Pittsburgh, it’s time to stop putting up with transfer portal drama and start supporting grassroots basketball again. It’s time we pay attention to Division III.

Nick Schmieg

Towanda