Why are College Baseball & Hockey not nearly as popular as College Football & Basketball? (draft, professional)
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I have always wondered why college baseball and college hockey are so less popular than college football and college basketball. Is there any explanation for this?
Yes, hockey and baseball players need not play in college before going pro. Baseball players can get drafted out of high school. Hockey players can bypass college by playing junior hockey in Canada, I believe.
I have always wondered why college baseball and college hockey are so less popular than college football and college basketball. Is there any explanation for this?
More exposure. More money. More interest.
And OF COURSE college hockey isn't as popular. It's really just one half (not even that much) of the country that has a hockey program.
Hockey and Baseball will always have followings with their hardcore fans and of course the students/alumni.
Trust me though... baseball college towns and hockey college towns probably find these respective sports just as popular as their football programs (if they have one at the D1 level).
Plus... life after college for baseball and hockey prospects has a lot of minor leagues where these players can get drafted, play, and hopefully earn their way to the professional level. Football... no such thing really. It's very rare to have a player who succeeds in the CFL or AFL and gets a chance in the NFL.
the problems with college baseball are many, including the time of year they play, the length of their season, the fact that players either leave college at the drop of a hat, or bypass college altogether. and then there is the competition they have to deal with, and i dont mean the major leagues either, but rather AA and AAA programs.
as for hockey, i dont even care about is as a sport at any level.
One reason, like others have said, is that the best baseball players don't go to college. They go straight to AA/A/Rookie. Not very fun to watch when you know the best players aren't even out there. Also those aluminum bats are garbage. Grown men need to be using wood.
I love college hockey...The Great Lakes Invitational packs them in every January in Detroit.... Looks like that game a few years back was a sell out!! MSU and U of M have that rivalry going..not as bad as football but it's still there!!!!
True post psurangers11!!!!! Some teams have a huge fan base....
Basketball and Football players must attend college in order to be drafted into the professional league. Additionally, there really isn't a minor league to speak of for either of these sports. So, the college game serves as the minor league for the NFL and NBA (and yes, I know there's the D-League, but that doesn't really count).
MLB and NHL have vast minor league systems, and players can be signed or drafted by teams right out of high school. Those players then spend an average of 2-4 years in the minor league system before they get a chance to play in the big leagues.
Football and basketball are more immediate sports and thus, the college game is more fun to watch, as the players are more developed and the good players will be playing in the big leagues the next season.
Additionally, you need to look at the fact that there is not a large following of the NHL in this country and MLB fandom is dwindling as well. The NFL and NBA are the big draws in the nation, and their respective college associations follow suit.
Basketball and Football players must attend college in order to be drafted into the professional league. Additionally, there really isn't a minor league to speak of for either of these sports. So, the college game serves as the minor league for the NFL and NBA (and yes, I know there's the D-League, but that doesn't really count).
MLB and NHL have vast minor league systems, and players can be signed or drafted by teams right out of high school. Those players then spend an average of 2-4 years in the minor league system before they get a chance to play in the big leagues.
Football and basketball are more immediate sports and thus, the college game is more fun to watch, as the players are more developed and the good players will be playing in the big leagues the next season.
Additionally, you need to look at the fact that there is not a large following of the NHL in this country and MLB fandom is dwindling as well. The NFL and NBA are the big draws in the nation, and their respective college associations follow suit.
How does the D-League not count?
Also, there are teams in other countries for basketball as well...
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