Utah coach Greg Marsden deserves more credit than anyone else for building the modern success story that is NCAA Women’s Gymnastics.
But he’s getting a bit of heat online after floating ideas for change to the current College system.
Greg feels Women’s NCAA Gymnastics is still not appealing enough to the “normal” spectator.
… we have done little to improve our image or increase interest in our championship. Our rules continue to be difficult for the occasional observer to understand, and post-season events are too long, too complicated and anticlimactic in nature. Other than when hosted by a few institutions, who have their own large following, attendance has been disappointing. …
His radical proposal — one that he does not expect to be supported anytime soon — is to make Championships a live TV event. (The 2009 Team Finals will be broadcast by CBS sometime in May.)
… If we hope to grow, it is not enough to appeal only to hard-core gymnastics fans or to fans of our institutions. We should consider changes that would also allow an opportunity for our final event to be televised live. As Steve Penny of USA gymnastics recently said, “because of the way media is now set up, if you’re not live, you’re not real.” This will require us to make the difficult decision about whether we continue to be more concerned with maintaining our participation numbers in post-season events, or whether we will create events that are more marketable. …
some of Greg’s Utah fans at Championships 2007 – larger version – flickr – makkeboome
Here are some of his ideas:
1. Compete five (or six) routines per event and count all five (or six) scores. You may substitute at the end of your line-up if someone cannot finish her routine due to injury, but there will be a 0.5 deduction and the injured gymnast may not compete on another event.
*Counting all routines would make everything much more meaningful, therefore more exciting and even allow for more upsets.
2. Average all scores to determine post-season qualification.
3. 32-Team Championships Format
Four NCAA regional sites:
1. Eight teams (and individuals) will be assigned to each regional site.
2. Two sessions on Saturday at 1 PM and 7 PM, with four teams (and individuals) in each session.
3. Winners of each session (and highest ranking individuals not with a qualifying team) move on to Semi Finals at NCAA Championships site.NCAA Championships site:
1. Semi Final sessions will be conducted on Thursday at 1 PM and 7 PM.
2. Top two teams from each session qualify to Finals
3. Team finals will be conducted on Friday at 7:00 PM
4. Event finals will be conducted on Saturday at 7:00 PM
After carefully reading his full proposal, I’m convinced.
Greg’s right.
I agree with him that we need more upsets … like earlier this season when San Jose State beat Stanford. THAT would make the sport more entertaining.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 