Gary Parrish, College Basketball (CBB) commentator from CBS Sports, has made waves in the sporting world, voicing out his concerns regarding the realignment process in College Basketball.
CBB commentator on realignment: ‘We’re not doing this the right way’ https://t.co/uEStCtN1mZ pic.twitter.com/t6HS62mosk
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 28, 2024
His remarks are anchored in the recent news that UMass (University of Massachusetts) is due to join the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in the 2025-26 school year.
The UMass Minutemen have, for years, played in several different football conferences and currently operate as an independent team without conference affiliation.
However, the basketball program at UMass has been a member of the Atlantic 10 since its establishment in 1976 as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League.
This proposed transition marks a significant shift for the team’s tradition and legacy. Parrish, a respected college basketball analyst, branded the move by UMass as “a bit deflating”.
Given UMass’s long-standing association with the Atlantic 10, a basketball conference that ranks significantly higher than the MAC, Parrish found the news somewhat disheartening.
He went on to explain his understanding of the situation, considering “football runs everything these days.”
“I do understand it and it’s because football runs everything these days.”
The sports commentator also proposed an idea that would detach the influences of football from other sports – an ideology previously advocated by former-UCLA head football coach Chip Kelly.
“Everything is about football. I do think one day — and I don’t know whether it’s next year or 20 years from now — we’ll look back at all of this and wonder why didn’t we just separate football from everything else and not disrupt all the other sports that didn’t need to be disrupted in this way. We’re not doing this the right way. But every decision is motivated by football and/or money. So here we are again.”
"I do think one day…we'll look back at all of this and wonder why didn't we just separate football from everything else and not disrupt all the other sports."
Gary Parrish on UMass leaving the A-10 and conference realignment.pic.twitter.com/q3ohXVqRRX
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 28, 2024
Parrish’s perspective is reasonable, as the disparity between the operating systems of football and other college sports is quite noticeable.
College sports like football are predominantly played once a week, usually on Saturdays, so inconvenience caused due to frequent travels is minor.
However, for other sports that feature multiple clashes weekly, multiple days of the week, the hassles involved in managing logistics and travel schedules are undeniably significant.
Therefore, Parrish’s suggestions for separate treatment seem rational.
