NCAA Basketball: Why do mid-majors get less respect than power schools?

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga is always going to be the elephant in the room. They have been one of the most successful programs in the NCAA over the last 20 seasons and are the only school to make the second weekend of the tournament the last five completed seasons. The last one is a fact and it isn’t disputable. The other thing that needs to be noted about the Bulldogs, is while they play in a mid-major conference, they are the furthest thing from a mid-major in college basketball at this point.

Just a few numbers to further solidify the point. Gonzaga has the sixth most NCAA tournament wins in the last five years with 20. They have also made the National Championship game in 2017. Three elite eight appearances in the last five years and as mentioned have made the sweet 16 all the last five seasons. Gonzaga recruits and plays a schedule of a blue blood. They win like a blue blood as well. That recruiting has earned them one of the best rosters in the country for next year and many people’s early-season pick for the national champion.

Gonzaga has used their success to be the premier college basketball school in the state of Washington and given their success over another power school the Washington Huskies the Bulldogs are the premier program in the city of Seattle as well. The Bulldogs have a greater operating budget than every other mid-major in the country, and yet because of the conference they play in, they get more disrespect than any other team in the country.

If anything, Gonzaga should be one of the most respected teams in the country because of how they have built their brand and their basketball power. That is a different conversation for a different day. For the sake of this article, Gonzaga is not going to be considered a mid-major.