In the words of Ian Eagle, basketball fans were granted “all chalk on the River Walk” for the Final Four this season.
While initial reactions for us at Mid-Major Madness were negative to say the least, especially after the final mid-major, Colorado State, decided to go out on the most tense of notes, it started to become easier to accept what became one of the most memorable Final Fours in recent history. It was not without mid-major representation, though.
We saw the likes of transfers in Johni Broome, Walter Clayton Jr., Sion James, Will Richard and Alijah Martin, who have spent time at mid-majors developing before taking their talents to these high-caliber teams. We got to witness players for a team that just recently (two years ago) moved from a mid-major conference in Houston.
So, what is the verdict?
When you look at a Final Four such as the one we got this year and compare it it to 2023, a Final Four where we saw two mid-majors reached the final weekend, it’s hard to deny that the excitement for a nine-seed like FAU and a five-seed like San Diego State was higher than it was for any of the teams coming into this year. We already knew the fact that the term underdog going into San Antonio was to be used incredibly loosely due to the skill and talent of the teams there — all No. 1 seeds for the second time ever. Anyone could win with the caliber on display. Comparatively, 2023 had a clear favorite going into it with UConn looking unstoppable, and the Huskies proved that with two dominant wins.
Does that mean mid-majors don’t have a place in the Final Four?
I wouldn’t say that.
Mid-majors give fans someone to root for. It’s easy in years like these to lose interest if your team isn’t playing, because it loses that heart that much of March Madness is known for while picking up the level of play. That heart that makes fans pick that 15 over a 2-seed upset, even though on paper, Michigan State looked way better than Middle Tennessee in 2016. They give fans hope that impossible things are possible.
No one believed that a 16-seed would ever beat a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament until UMBC came along and knocked off the highest-ranked team in the tournament, Virginia, in 2018. It was that lack of mass belief that fueled the belief in players, which, in turn, endeared that team to the rest of the nation. The Terriers showed the world that anyone can do anything they set their mind to and worked hard enough for.
Now, as we reflect on this entire concept of having mid-majors in the later parts of the Tournament, it can be easy to say that since this year was fun without them, it’s time to never again hope for them to ruin fans’ hopes of an “interesting” Final Four.
Would March Madness ever be the same if fans didn’t believe that any team had a chance?
It’s tough to say, but we here at Mid-Major Madness hope that if you keep tuning into our content, you won’t want them going anywhere for a long time.
