NCAA college sports is a multi-billion dollar industry where the protagonists don't receive a single penny.
The main sports are american football and basketball, other televised sports include field hockey, volleyball and soccer. Both college programs for swimming and athletics regularly produce multiple Olympic champions, whilst NCAA golf numbers Tiger Woods (Stanford) amongst its old boys.
We will concentrate on the main two sports -as they are the ones on which the spread firms frequently offer markets.
If you are new to the National College Athletic Association then we will try and take away some of the mystery surrounding the NCAA and direct you towards the best betting opportunities and college sports information.

We will try to answer the following questions:
a) How Is College Basketball Set Up?
b) How Is College Football Set Up?
c) So Which Are The Best Teams?
d) What Are The Betting Opportunities?
e) Where Can I See NCAA Action?

How Is College Basketball Set Up?
Both basketball and football are set up in regional conferences, but teams also play colleges from other parts of the country in a pre-arranged schedule that differs slightly each year.
Basketball's championship culminates in the 'March Madness' tournament -where the different Divison I conference champions and some invitees play off for the crown. Things get very frenzied for the 'Final Four' games -with tickets changing hands for thousands of dollars.

How Is College Football Set Up?
Football does not have a knockout championship -instead teams are chosen to compete in various bowl matches, the choosing based on a formula that blends computer rankings and human polls. This causes much controversy as shouts for a knockout tournament become ever louder -but this would prevent the universities indulging in the money-spinning end of season bowl games that take place around New Year.

So Which Are The Best Teams?
Teams recruit new players to their colleges on the strength of their programs and often the reputation of the school -hence basketball dynasties, such as the one at UCL are created. There are some teams that are traditionally strong in basketball such as UCLA, Indiana, Duke and Georgetown -once again, these teams should feature in March Madness.
On the football side there are old school colleges like Alabama, USC, Miami and Oklahoma that are traditonally strong being joined now by the new powers in the college scene, Ohio State & LSU.

What Are The Betting Opportunities?
Sporting Index offer markets for all 32 of the Bowl games, there is always some bowl action to be found on Spreadex, whilst Paddy Power has some fixed spreads on the more high-profile bowls.
Nearly all the spread firms offer markets on the March Madness tournament -with Sporting Index being the pick of the bunch for variety.

Where Can I See NCAA Action?
Most of the college bowls can be seen on satellite (NASN and Setanta Ireland), whilst college basketball can always be found on Setanta. For a full list of times and channels check out livesportontv.com