Not the place for elevation

After watching last night's games on the elevated court that Wheeling talked about a few posts earlier, I really hope that this idea doesn't start catching on. I don't like it at Vanderbilt, but the arena is small and intimate enough to make for a raucous and exciting environment. But at a huge stadium like Ford Field, the fans are way too removed from the action. The same was true in Houston, where CBS analyst Billy Packer observed that what should have been a home court advantage for the Longhorns wasn't really an advantage at all because the Texas faithful were barely audible on the court.

The entire setup also looked pretty ridiculous. Players and coaches sat on chairs below the court, and players jumped off of the court and over their bench to track down loose balls as if they were cliff diving. It couldn't have been too safe, either.

The beauty of the college game, and even of the NBA to a certain extent, is that the fans can get very close to the action. We take this for granted at the Palestra, where every seat has a front row feel. It's unfortunate that the NCAA feels the need to use football stadiums as basketball venues. Sure, you can sell more tickets that way, but you're just making more money off of some hardworking college kids. At least let them enjoy the experience to the fullest and give them a suitable arena for a basketball game.

Finally, on a somewhat unrelated note, how great of an institution is Davidson? Not only do they do your laundry for free (okay, it's part of the tuition, but still), but in light of the school's impressive run, Davidson's Board of Trustees pledged to pay for any student to go to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games in Detroit. Transportation, tickets, and lodging were all included. Of course, the student body is very small, making an operation like this one feasible. But in a tournament full of greed, it's refreshing to see a school that has its priorities straight. And how sweet is Stephen Curry's shot?