March Madness 2023 is now upon us and this year, the season promises to be an exciting time as hundreds of college basketball teams from all over the country come together to try and win that top place in the tournament.
But why bother attending college basketball games when you can watch professional players in other tournaments, like the National Basketball Team? Here are some great reasons why you should attend college basketball games during this season of March Madness.
The Atmosphere
All sports games and tournaments have a great atmosphere as lots of people come together to support their teams.
In college basketball, things can get super interesting as the school spirit takes over and the crowd can become wild as the game goes on. Rivalries between colleges also bring another level of excitement and things can get pretty tense. Some people even feel like there’s more at stake in college basketball games – it’s not just about the tournament, the trophy, or the victory, but about school pride and supporting the school community.
Plus, college basketball games are also very sociable and you can meet new people, catch up with old friends, and have a great time! This fun and friendly atmosphere (with a little bit of tense competition) makes it a great place to spend your time.
More Interesting Gameplay
If you ask a lot of basketball fans what’s the key difference between professional NBA-level basketball and college basketball, a lot of them will point out the same thing – college basketball focuses more on team play while NBA games focus on individual effort and talent.
What this means is that college basketball teams are trained and play as a team, while NBA teams will often see players try to serve themselves over the team.
This is a common issue with all sports. Sometimes, the egos of professional sports players mean they put their own limelight and praise ahead of the game. In college basketball, this can sometimes happen but not as often – college basketball teams are trained to play as teams and to win at all costs, so they’re not afraid to try out some more interesting techniques and gameplay to get what they want.
This can open up the game with a lot more passing and dribbling, even though the skill of college basketball players is nowhere near the same skill as NBA players.
You Feel More Involved
College sports games are loud and messy – and this is what makes them so much fun to attend.
While school spirit plays a huge role here, the crowds at college sports games are known for their crazy traditions and fight songs. Songs and certain kinds of cheering are off-limits at an NBA game but at college basketball, you can go nuts – as long as you are not spewing hate speech at the players.
Your cheering (or booing) can have an impact on the players and it’s great to see them react to support from the crowd. Your actions will have a huge sway on the morale of the team so when that victory does come, you will feel like you did your part. Plus, you actually get to celebrate with the team – and congratulate them the next time you see them in class!
You Can Spot Future NBA Stars
As of 2007, it’s actually a requirement for NBA players to have played basketball at college. This means that all those players out on the court during a college basketball game could one day be playing in the NBA.Â
As a result, a lot of people love to watch college basketball games to try and pick out future potential NBA players. NBA officials will also be watching closely to see who on the court is a stand-out player – and wouldn’t it be great to say to all your friends you saw that player play basketball at college?
Knowing how a player played basketball at college will give you a good insight into the future when they are playing at professional tournaments. Whether it’s for betting purposes or just to brag to your friends that you always knew they’d be great players, heading to college basketball games to get a head start is a great idea.
You May Spot Current Stars At The Games
You can run into celebrities pretty much anywhere but March Madness games will sometimes have huge stars in the crowd.
Stars like Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lawrence, John Legend, Bill Clinton, Ashley Judd, and even Drake have all been spotted in the crowd watching college basketball games. So, when you attend a college basketball game, you never know who you might end up sitting next to or behind or spotting from across the court.
Having a celebrity in the stands can add a whole new level of excitement to a college basketball game so why not attend to get a taste for yourself?
Final Thoughts
College basketball games are more accessible (and arguably more fun) than NBA games so you can attend again and again for that wild atmosphere, strong school spirit, and alternative gameplay. With so many positives to a college basketball game, attend one this March Madness!
