The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Committee met last week and finalized the change of the format for the annual championship. The biggest modification is that the tournament will now be a 54-hole stroke play event where the top eight teams will then qualify for a three-round match play tournament. The individual awards will be recognized after the 54 stroke-play holes, in essence decreasing it from the usual 72-hole championship that we have always seen in the past.

When I first heard about the proposal for the change, I was on board with the idea for numerous reasons, including most notably the possibility of making the event more television-friendly. However, after scanning around the Internet and hearing the opinions of many Division I coaches, I have changed my stance on the issue. Why should the format from a five-player, count-four system - one that is used in virtually every college tournament throughout the year - be changed for the most important tournament of the year? Taking this one step further, I think the committee should look into a compromise that would still meet the needs of a potential television audience but would still uphold the consistency of the entire season. Furthermore, I think Divisions II and III need to think about implementing a change like this.

The essence of the format change at the Division I level seems to be to provide a more television-friendly tournament. As Oklahoma State athletics director and committee chair Mike Holder explains, "Match play has enjoyed tremendous success in the Ryder Cup and our committee hopes that spectators and television will enjoy the excitement generated by this form of scoring." The problem with this argument is that outside of events featuring Tiger Woods, golf in general on television has not been well-received by the general public. So why should Division I change its format to try to entice a larger audience when no television contract is even currently in place? I think the hardcore golf fan will ultimately enjoy a final round stroke play event just as much as a match-play tournament - and the casual golf fan probably won't care about either, unless the next Tiger Woods is playing.

The biggest problem that I have with the idea - a sentiment that is shared by many coaches - is that the match-play format is so different from stroke play, which is used in nearly every collegiate tournament. I know from my college golf playing days that there are some players who excel in a match-play format, while others find it less to their liking. But why should the format for college golf's most important tournament be altered from the way it is played all season long? This is like switching the NCAA Basketball national championship game to a half-court game.

I can see the appeal of a head-to-head format, and so if the committee is devoted to this experiment (which it seems to be), I would propose a compromise - let the final eight teams battle it out in a head-to-head stroke play tournament. In this scenario, the tournament will still have the tradition and consistency of stroke-play golf, but an extra element will be added that could be more enticing for viewing.

What do you think of the new modifications to the Division I golf championship? Do you think this type of change should be implemented in the other divisions?