As that title so clearly points out… This is the home, where we Rank ALL 351 Division I Basketball Teams and what it’s like to experience a game at each University (don’t hold me to that #, google says 351 but with 2 in transition from DII). Whatever the case, this is how the system is going to work and the rules are as followed.
For however long it takes, I plan on attending a college basketball game at each school’s HOME COURT. That means no neutral floor or “specialized arena”, i.e. Nova plays some games at Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo is excluded from ranking. Simply put, Home court = the one on school campus.
From there, I will try to attend a game that is ideally most appealing ; Big rivalries, conference games, weekend’s when there’s more students – any thing that’ll create a bigger buzz. This could be difficult when attending 350+ , but will try and be conscious of it. Going into each game I’ll leave any and all preconceived opinions of school and team behind. I’ll have done some due diligence, researching information on players, their stats and news. Not only that, but also looking for idiosyncrasies that distinguish school’s from one another. Such examples, like food options on site and pre and post game hangouts. I will immerse myself with the student body and campus, as if I were enrolled. Making it so I have the best experience possible. And because of that I will always be rooting for the home team and more than likely betting on them too.
Now here comes the difficult part. The grading scale. It would be lazy of me to do 1 -10. I want something different. I figured my scale will be 1 – 7. Here’s my reasoning, college basketball is a “Power 7 Conference”. Meaning there are normally 7 Conferences that dominate the automatic bids when it comes to Selection Sunday. Those conferences are ACC, BIG 12, BIG EAST, BIG TEN, PAC 12, SEC, and one that annually alternates between A10/AMERICAN/CONFERENCE USA/MISSOURI VALLEY/ MOUNTAIN WEST/ & WCC. So, if your school receives a 7 out of 7 that mean’s they’re the blue bloods of the sport and can almost guarantee Dancing every March. However, let the record state that a team’s record (past or present) will not tip the grading scale. As well, there will be leniency for schools with lower endowments. So if your team plays in the SWAC it can just as easily receive the same or better score than any one team in the SEC. All things will be taken into consideration while being rated.
Lastly, I will not let extracurricular substances sway my opinion. For that I am setting a rule to never consume more than 3 beverages during game day. Three beers is the right enough number to still generate a buzz but never compromise my decision making.
Here are some (but not all) of the the grading categories that will be consider :
- Attendance
- Facilities
- Ambiance
- Food and beverage
- Student engagement
- Campus
- In game fun & activities
- Team intro’s and mascot
- Pre and Post Game Rituals/Traditions
Now that the Rules have been established, Good Luck to All and let’s have some fun.