College basketball through the decades - are we living in the Golden Era of March Madness?
So many sports have become much easier to follow in recent years. College basketball has an incredible history, and the whole history of the sport is tied to the college system in the US.
Undoubtedly, we are living in the Golden Era of college basketball. When you go online now, you can find stats, streams, and more coverage of basketball than ever before. If you’re the sort of person who loves to study the stats, then this is ideal.
College Basketball is already thrilling to watch, and there are so many different potential outcomes and tournament winners. There isn’t a monopoly or one team that totally dominates. This is reflected in the betting odds for March Madness, and you can see that there are lots of potential winners or even underdogs who might go far in the tournament.
People also use College Basketball as a way to spot future stars. In 2021, there was the “Next Luka Dončić” playing in the tournament. A lot of people like to bet and predict future stars through this tournament - it is a way to see the up-and-coming talent on their way to the biggest platforms that basketball has to offer. You never know which team is "hiding" the next Ja Morant.
Legend has it that the sport was invented to give students more to do during the winter when there would be a dip in sports such as baseball and football. James Naismith invented the sport working at Springfield College. Of course, the game has evolved a lot since then.
Basketball was instantly pretty popular. By 1900, there were many colleges playing against each other. The sport was becoming more mainstream, and in 1936 the sport even became part of the Olympics.
The growth of March Madness
Eventually, national tournaments became one of the driving forces behind basketball, and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship that we know as March Madness started way back in 1939. The tournament grew and grew with more teams being included. From 32 teams in 1975 to 48 in 1980 and then to the 64 teams we see today.
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This huge tournament has more happening than ever before, and this means that you can watch matchups throughout March and into the start of April. The tournament is annual and offers a lot of excitement for fans of the sport.
Basketball is now watched all over the world and gives us one of the most thrilling and physically impressive sports there is. Undeniably, March Madness and the history of college basketball have played a big part.
Why we’re in the Golden Era of college basketball
What makes the current era the best time to be watching basketball? What is the game like now as opposed to 20 or even 80 years ago?
Bigger tournaments
The tournament hasn’t grown from 1985 to now, but it has become much bigger since the original outset and now has 64 teams competing, so there are more exciting matches to follow through March and the rest of the college basketball calendar.
Better talent
This is always going to cause some element of debate, but it is probably fair to say that the talent today is better than it has been in the past. The last few decades have seen an incredible level of advancement in the basketball system, and this means more talent to watch. Part of the fun is working out who is going to be the next big thing.
More coverage
You can find more ways to watch basketball in 2022 than ever before. In addition to official streams and television coverage, you will also find blogs, podcasts, and analyses to keep you invested and engaged in college basketball.
More gambling markets
Gambling companies continue to give people more and more options for how they can bet and predict the outcome of the sport, including college games. There is an option to gamble on more matches and more markets within the sport, including point spreads and individual player achievement.
To sum it all up - the internet and smartphone era has made it easier to follow your favorite teams in virtually all sports, and March Madness is one of the most exciting times for anyone who loves the sport of basketball. Things may continue to improve, but surely in terms of the quality and excitement on offer, it is fair to say that we are currently living in a Golden Era of college basketball.
