Reactions To The Duke-Amazon Deal Have Been Interesting

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The reactions to Duke’s deal with Amazon Prime have been interesting, to say the least.

Is it a turning point in college athletics? Probably. Is it something that can’t be overcome? Probably not.

Over at OrangeFizz.net, there is outrage, a sense that Duke just got an unmatchable advantage, and that it “bought” it.

To that, we have a few comments. First, strictly speaking, Duke sold; Amazon bought.

Second, there’s no particular reason why Duke should do well. It’s done well because Mike Krzyzewski built a monster program just as ESPN came along, and was smart enough to adapt to several changes in the game in the intervening years. He also mastered some elements of an M.B.A., notably branding (it’s possible that Quin Snyder, who earned an M.B.A. from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, helped Coach K down that particular road).

Jon Scheyer has also done a brilliant job adapting to the current environment, and has generally been ahead of the curve. The first GM in college basketball? Check. Figuring out NIL? Check. Adapting to the portal? Check again.

Duke didn’t get the Amazon deal just because it’s Duke. Duke is Duke because the people who have managed Duke Basketball have been really, really smart.

In other words, it didn’t just happen. Duke was ready for the opportunity.

However, the Orange Fizz article is correct, because it is an advantage for Duke. It didn’t dawn on us immediately, but look at when the first two Prime games are scheduled: UConn on Thanksgiving Eve, almost immediately before Black Friday, and against Michigan on December 21st, just before Christmas. Everything else aside, that’s the sweet spot, especially if you have players pitching Amazon products on those dates. NIL will run like water.

The third game will be Duke’s traditional late-season out-of-conference tuneup, and the Blue Devils will face Gonzaga on Feb. 20 in Detroit.

But here’s where Orange Fizz gets it wrong.

People forget that when Coach K got to Durham in 1980, while Duke had been good under Bill Foster, the dominant ACC teams were UNC, Maryland, and NC State.

The Wolfpack was transitioning to the Jim Valvano era, but Norm Sloan had a great run, and Valvano was about to step into legend. And Virginia had Ralph Sampson.

Krzyzewski’s first three seasons at Duke produced a 38-47 record. Until 1991, Duke was seen as an admirable overachiever. Duke wasn’t really disliked (outside of Chapel Hill, anyway) until Christian Laettner frightened and infuriated people in his senior season.

Duke is in a great situation, but nothing is permanent. Ask yourself this: if a young Mike Krzyzewski came to coach Syracuse today, would he succeed?

It seems pretty obvious, right?

We are clearly in a new era, but the most basic building block is the coach. UNC struggled to be consistent under Hubert Davis, and he was canned before things got worse. Kentucky has struggled under Mark Pope, and he seems to be on the hot seat already. And remember UK struggled this past season, despite the obvious determination that no one was going to outspend them in the portal.

Obviously, you need money, and money now means players, but you’re going to have a tough time getting people to invest in your program if the most basic element, the leader, isn’t very good at his job.

Which is why we’re optimistic about Syracuse.

Gerry McNamara built a nice team at Siena, one that went toe-to-toe with #1 Duke in March. If he can become competitive, money will follow. And if he can revive the ‘Cuse, power will flow back to that program.

Just for a point of reference, warning and humility, remember when Miami signed Nijel Pack as a transfer?

People were shocked that he got $400,000.

Well, big men this cycle are asking for $5 million. Given their position in the New York market, not to mention brand awareness in Ontario, Syracuse has the potential to stake a major claim.

No one knows the specifics of Duke’s deal with Amazon, but it’s the first. The next may be bigger, and the ones after that, bigger still. Payrolls will continue to increase. And in fact, the Big 12 just announced a private equity deal that will inject about $12 million into the conference, and open a vast credit line for any school that wants to tap into it (however, the interest rate on those lines of credit, reportedly double-digits, looks to be financial suicide).

Another thing that a lot of people are overlooking is that a lot of the traditional Blue Bloods are in a tough spot. UNC had no problem throwing Hubert Davis, and the Dean Smith legacy, overboard. Kentucky is struggling. Indiana hasn’t been a big factor for a long time. UCLA is not what it once was. Kansas hasn’t made it past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament for the last four years.

In other words, there is room at the top. Dusty May has pushed Michigan up. Dan Hurley has done it for UConn, and Tommy Lloyd has made Arizona a powerhouse again.

Syracuse has the chance to rise. Hiring McNamara looks like a great move, and if he can improve, and build, money, and therefore talent, will follow. But you have to set the table first.

• Duke Just Bought Another Advantage — And Everyone Else Should Be Furious
• Duke-Amazon partnership could send college hoops down slippery slope
• Prime Video Expanding Beyond NBA With Duke College Basketball
• Prime Video signs first college sports deal with Duke men’s basketball to present three premier games per season

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