One of the most respected voices in college basketball resides at the University of Houston, with head coach Kelvin Sampson.
On Saturday, ahead of the Cougars’ matchup vs. Colorado, Sampson roasted both the NCAA and the Big 12 Conference for their handling of the conference schedule.
“Administrators and the NCAA quit caring about student-athlete welfare a long time ago, man,” Sampson said. “We know the deal. Nobody cares about that. Nobody. We’re all over the place. We’re flying two or three time zones, some of them. Think about that flight from Tuscon to Morgantown. That’s tough.”
Sampson speaks for the majority of coaches in college athletics as conference realignment has drastically changed travel schedules. When a team has to make the nearly eight-hour flight from Tuscon to Morgantown, it goes without saying that the group is going to deal with some serious jet lag.
In spite of this, the Cougars have been impressive this year, sitting tied for first in Big 12 Conference play with the Arizona Wildcats. And, to follow up on his initial thoughts, Sampson clarified that he is well aware that the Cougars aren’t the only team dealing with these struggles.
Sampson finished his thoughts by saying, “Everybody’s going through it, so nobody has a disadvantage or advantage, but it is tough.”
