For decades, the major sports leagues, including the NCAA, have answered to the marching orders of their stakeholders. Those stakeholders include sponsors, alumni, television networks, and players unions, but rarely, if ever, include the fans, who actually foot the bill for the whole thing.
Consider that fans supported a whopping $410 Billion—yes, that's Billion, with a capital 'B' in 2009 for the sports industry, and yet cannot get any voice in major decisions such as the non-existence of a college football champion or expansion of the NCAA tournament. That revenue is more than quadruple what China (yes, China, the nation just below Russia) spends on it's annual defense budget. It's over two times more than the entire annual budget for the state of New York.
To put it simply, it's a lot of money.
But for providing that endless ocean of cash, fans don't have a voice, proven by poll after poll showing fans displeasure with decisions and yet go completely ignored by the commissioners and upper management. Don't want the NFL playoff rules changed? Tough. Don't like the suspect refereeing in the NBA? Get over it. Want the NCAA to loosen up on players trans...
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