Should College Baseball move to summer schedules?

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Crimson's Ghost
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Re: Should College Baseball move to summer schedules?

Post by Crimson's Ghost »

I guess that would wipe out all of the good players in college baseball since the draft is in June and most teams like to sign their players right away. 
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Re: Should College Baseball move to summer schedules?

Post by knowitall »

It looks like a long shot to ever pass.  Could Divisions 2 and 3 even consider doing this?  It would end the AAABA if it ever did.
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Re: Should College Baseball move to summer schedules?

Post by abpk2903 »

Seems like a grand plan on paper but what would it do to local minor league baseball teams?  Look at places like the University of Maryland where the Terps would then be competing head to head with the Bowie Bay Sox which are just a few miles away.  State College, PA has a similar issue with the State College Spikes.  Who will get the weekend series at the Medlar Field?  I know the Spikes wouldn't be ok just giving away weekend series dates so Penn State can play home games.  At the end of the day, there is only so much of a market for baseball fans' money.  Even MLB teams are feeling an attendance crunch.  Putting more baseball into the heat of the summer is just going to saturate the market further.  Personally, I've always thought that fall would be the best season to play baseball.  You could start the season in early-August when the short season minor league teams are finishing up, play the regular season through end of October and play the NCAA tournament in warm southern destinations in early November.  I think it would really help attendance because most universities are bring tens of thousands of alumni and fans to the campus to watch the football games.  If Penn State is playing Ohio State in a weekend baseball series, the same weekend as they are playing a football game you would think they could carry over a small fraction of those fans to come out and see a game or two.
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Re: Should College Baseball move to summer schedules?

Post by Crimson's Ghost »

It's not so much the State College Spikes would be competing with Penn State for field usage, they would be competing with them for players. The State College Spikes' entire roster is newly drafted college players.  Short-season Class A leagues are basically just college teams. 
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Re: Should College Baseball move to summer schedules?

Post by Crimson's Ghost »

I can see why Northern schools would want the change to happen, but I don't think teams in warm weather states would be at all inclined to change how things are.
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Re: Should College Baseball move to summer schedules?

Post by knowitall »

Right.  There is no need for Florida State to want baseball to be moved to summertime.  Pitt and West Virginia's attendance probably wouldn't increase significantly either.  Most students aren't on campus in the summertime.  And the surrounding area could care less about college baseball.
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Re: Should College Baseball move to summer schedules?

Post by abpk2903 »

I don't see how a move to any part of the year would prevent northern schools reporting a net loss on the sport.  Would they maybe not lose quite as much money?  Yes.  This is why I think a fall season could be better, as well.  How much do northern programs spend to ship these teams south to play spring training games and early season games?  Towson University is going to Southern California and Hawaii for early season games next year.  They went to west Texas this year.   If you play a fall schedule, then you can hold your pre-season camp on campus and play all of your games closer to your geographical area.  Only the really good teams that make deep NCAA tournament runs would then bear the expense of traveling deep into the south to play warm weather games late in the year.  I also think it would make the draft process easier.  The draft is in June, gives the players a month or so to decide if they want to go the professional route or go/return to collegiate baseball for another season.  Players wouldn't have to prepare for the draft in the middle of their season either.  The season would end and then they would have 6 months or so to rehab injuries and train for the amateur draft.
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Re: Should College Baseball move to summer schedules?

Post by Wrasslerfan »

Simple answer no
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