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By Sam, March 4, 2009 8:14 pm

March madness has begun.  Last night the Big South Conference, the Ohio Valley Conference and the Horizon League were the first in the nation to begin their conference tourneys , and today there are twelve less teams left competing in D1 college basketball. The season is over for: Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb, High Point, Winthrop, Tennessee Tech, Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee State, Eastern Illinois, Loyola Ill. , Detroit Mercy, Youngstown State, and Valparaiso. These teams compete in relative obscurity most of the year except for a few pay day games in the early winter, and if they are lucky for an afternoon in March. Their elimination from these low profile events is of no particular interest to those outside the small fan bases of those leagues.  But please take note because they have as much at stake as anyone else. They are fighting to stay alive and to keep playing the game they love. So to those guys whose basketball careers came to an end last night we owe a debt as fans, for the work they put into this game that we all enjoy so much. It is something to keep in mind as we tick down to selection Sunday and more and more teams are eliminated. All but one season will end in defeat for these teams, their players, coaches, fans, students, and alumni (Well that is unless you count the NIT champion or the CBI champion…no  wait they aren’t holding the CBI this season, but they are having something similar, so the champion of whatever that thing is. Oh and the D1 independents who could technically win their last game since they don’t play in a conference tournament. Come to think of it the Ivy League still doesn’t play a conference tournament so almost half of the Ivy League could win their last game too.  Actually more than half since the conference champion could theoretically lose their last Ivy League game and then win the national championship… that should be it as long as there aren’t conferences that exclude some teams from the conference tourney or if that new CBI replacement tournament has a consolation game). So thanks for the effort all of those teams we won’t be seeing on the big stage, your contributions are not forgotten, if anything they serve to enhance the magnitude of what will come later.

So long to the Chanticleers, Runnin’ Bulldogs, Panthers, and Eagles of the Big South. Fair well to the Golden Eagles, Colonels, Tigers, and Panthers of the Ohio Valley. Good night to the Ramblers, Titans, Penguins, and Crusaders of the Horizon League. Maybe we’ll see you for next years trip.