Should the start of college baseball season be pushed back?

[greenbean.sixpack]

The cold weather early in the season certainly hurts attendance, plus with the CWS in June, that leaves a huge hole in the college sports calendar. Maybe start it mid March and end it mid/late July? I'm assuming it is scheduled as it is now due to the MLB draft and summer leagues? Starting in mid-March would mean competing with the NCAA tourney, but college baseball already competes with that.

 

[ETK99]

No!

 

[NTDawg]

The cold weather early in the season certainly hurts attendance, plus with the CWS in June, that leaves a huge hole in the college sports calendar. Maybe start it mid March and end it mid/late July? I'm assuming it is scheduled as it is now due to the MLB draft and summer leagues? Starting in mid-March would mean competing with the NCAA tourney, but college baseball already competes with that.

Yes. Baseball is a summer sport. Push back the draft. Let the players start pro ball with fall ball or next season.

 

[HuntDawg]

If you move it back it effects summer leagues, which are heavily scouted. Summer school, etc. a few cold weeks at the start of year, everyone is use to.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

The cold weather early in the season certainly hurts attendance, plus with the CWS in June, that leaves a huge hole in the college sports calendar. Maybe start it mid March and end it mid/late July? I'm assuming it is scheduled as it is now due to the MLB draft and summer leagues? Starting in mid-March would mean competing with the NCAA tourney, but college baseball already competes with that.

In the 80s we played from last week of Feb thru first week in June. Of course we did play a few 7 inning doubleheaders. That was 60+ games a year. Usually tried to schedule that early part with more Southern road trips. Did do Hawaii one year and Arizona another to also help early season weather.

And to any questions of extending it is the thing I often complain about. School ends in May at MSU but we luckily stayed a few more weeks some times. Now they are staying a month and a half after classes end if they go CWS. That is not required of any other student. The two or three weeks was enough.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

If you move it back it effects summer leagues, which are heavily scouted. Summer school, etc. a few cold weeks at the start of year, everyone is use to.

I figured it was summer leagues, but to grow the sport, Big 10 teams will have to get more interested and March can be brutal up there.

 

[patdog]

If you move it back it effects summer leagues, which are heavily scouted. Summer school, etc. a few cold weeks at the start of year, everyone is use to.

Ideally, baseball would start April 1. Or March 1 at the very earliest. But we're already at the point school lets out almost a month before the season ends. How much further can you push the season back?

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Ideally, baseball would start April 1. Or March 1 at the very earliest. But we're already at the point school lets out almost a month before the season ends. How much further can you push the season back?

I doubt school being out will effect regional attendance (assuming we make another one soon), but school being out would certainly effect mid week and Friday night games.

 

[HuntDawg]

It’s like snowbird at the beach. Those northern schools are so use to traveling south the play early in the year.

just don’t see it ever changing. Those northern schools don’t care enough about it to make a big calendar shift for them.

Not saying I don’t prefer the warm weather. Just don’t ever see it changing. The only way to change it is to lessen the games played, say shrink it to 48 or so and back the season up two weeks. Or make mid week games 2 game sets during the week, to get the 56 in

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

In the 80s we played from last week of Feb thru first week in June. Of course we did play a few 7 inning doubleheaders.

I remember the Saturday double headers well. When we (the conference or whoever) moved away from them some our fans were concerned it would hurt attendance/interest, obviously that was proven to be wrong.

 

[DAWGSANDSAINTS]

The cold weather early in the season certainly hurts attendance, plus with the CWS in June, that leaves a huge hole in the college sports calendar. Maybe start it mid March and end it mid/late July? I'm assuming it is scheduled as it is now due to the MLB draft and summer leagues? Starting in mid-March would mean competing with the NCAA tourney, but college baseball already competes with that.

NO!
Already pushed it back from when it use to begin.