In Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) men’s basketball, the Ravens are in a class of their own. The squad’s 92-42 thumping of the Lakehead Thunderwolves in the national championship game Mar. 10 is evidence of that.
Since Dave Smart became head coach, the men’s team has won the W.P. McGee Trophy a record nine times, captured 13 Ontario University Athletics East division crowns, and gone undefeated five times while posting a record of 281-23.
The Ravens aren’t just good by CIS standards. They’re too good. Over the past decade the team has accomplished everything it can in the CIS and has shown it has an ability to take on a higher level of competition than the league can offer. Carleton needs to enable its marquee team to move past its plateau of excellence. It’s time for the Ravens to join the NCAA.
Joining the American collegiate ranks would almost certainly improve the visibility, marketability, and profitability of the team and, by extension, Carleton as a whole. As it stands, with a majority of Carleton’s athletic marketing budget behind them, Ravens men’s basketball is seldom televised and the team only draws around 600 to 1000 people to its home games. However, the offseason exhibition games between the Ravens and NCAA Division I are able to draw nearly 2,000 spectators per contest. It isn’t farfetched to assume that number would grow if the Ravens began to play NCAA regular season games.
Having Canada’s best team play against the best collegiate teams in the world would also cement Ottawa’s status as the epicentre of basketball in the country. In order to become an NCAA-recognized university, a minimum of six male and six female teams must make the switch. In 2011, Simon Fraser University became the first institution outside of the United States to be officially admitted into the NCAA. The school’s marquee soccer team has excelled, while other sports that have struggled are beginning to reap the benefits of the higher-end recruits that come with NCAA membership. The Ravens have the chance to soar if they follow suit. θ
