Letter: Big Dance for reason

This is no knock on the accomplishments of the Zags (and wannabe Zags like the Butler Bulldogs), but it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee. I love to see them all go Big Dancing, but they should know the game is rigged. Unless your college is from a power conference, it’s just not going to win a championship.

In the last 55 years, only three schools that aren’t current big-six conference members have won the men’s Big Dance: Loyola of Chicago, 1963; Texas Western, now UTEP, 1966; and Nevada-Las Vegas, 1990. (By all rights, the last one should have yielded its title to Duke due to coach Tarkanian’s recruiting violations.)

The last midmajor women’s titlist was 1988’s Louisiana Tech. LTU (1982) and Old Dominion (1985) were the other minor-league winners in the women’s Big Dance 30-year history.

At the Big Dances, Cinderella may get to boogie with some royals, but it’s a sure bet he or she won’t be getting to take home the prince’s nets as souvenirs in that rented pumpkin coach. 

Simon Roloff

Spokane