Professor Downplays Impact of Scandals on March Madness

By Dan Verderosa, March 16, 2018
Annemarie Farrell says scandals won't dampen interest in March Madness.

Scandals currently plaguing college basketball won't dampen interest in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, says Annemarie Farrell, associate professor in the Department of Sport Management at Ithaca College. 

Farrell is featured in a Los Angeles Times article examining how recent recruiting scandals could impact interest in March Madness. She predicts that hoops fans will look past the negative news and watch the 68-team tourney with the same fervor as any other year.

“Fans are great at rationalizing,” Farrell tells the Times. “We're good at being able to create narratives that allow our heroes to remain heroes.”