Is the MIAA simply MIA?

You hear about Duke and North Carolina (and Tyler Hansbrough’s bloody nose). You hear about Kentucky and Louisville. You hear about Arizona and UCLA. You hear about Indiana and Purdue. You hear about the Big Five from Philadelphia. But what about Hope and Calvin?

Most college-basketball spectators have a tendency to focus on Division I and forget about Divisions II and III. Division I basketball, especially men’s, gets a lot more media coverage than the other divisions’ basketball. Particularly when it comes to rivalries, spectators seem to forget about the other divisions. In the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, or the MIAA, Calvin College and Hope College have a traditional rivalry. Both Hope and Calvin take great pride in this rivalry and use the small amount of media coverage they get to stress the importance of community to their colleges.

In November of 2005, ESPN named the Calvin and Hope rivalry the fourth greatest college basketball rivalry across all divisions. In April 2005, ESPN’s Web site featured a poll to find out what fans consider the fiercest rivalry in college basketball. Out of the ten rivalries listed, that of Calvin and Hope is the only rivalry outside of Division I. This year, each team beat the other on the other’s home floor.

Even though ESPN does acknowledge the rivalry, the game was not broadcast on ESPN. Most Division III players are not as concerned with professional athletic careers as Division I players. But does this mean Division III games are less exciting? Should we pay them any less attention than Division I games? It strikes me as strange that ESPN would acknowledge the intensity of a rivalry and not even cover the game.

From a public relations perspective, it would be a good strategy for the NCAA to promote awareness of Divisions II and III. Division I attracts so much attention that Divisions II and III are often forgotten, but if the NCAA wants to maximize its publicity, the other divisions need more media coverage. I don’t think all three divisions should get the same amount of attention, but if a game such as this rivalry is being acknowledged by ESPN, known for being the worldwide leader in sports, it is worthwhile to invest more interest and attention in some Division III games.