Fan Completes Quest to See All 364 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Teams in Person
It took over two decades and a lot of travel, but the journey finally has been completed.
It’s not uncommon for people to list on their sports bucket lists something like “visit every MLB or NFL stadium.” Such an endeavor—seeing a game in 30 venues spread across North America—is certainly one that requires plenty of planning and financial commitment and would be incredibly impressive if accomplished.
College basketball superfan Craig Caswell sees your sports goal, and raises it by a multitude of 10.
According to Scott Allen of The Washington Post, Caswell just completed a 21-year odyssey in which he saw all 364 NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams in person on Saturday. The final game of the trek was Saturday’s matchup between American and Lehigh in Washington, D.C.
The journey started on Jan. 9, 2002, when Dayton defeated George Washington. He didn’t resolve to make this his life’s mission until nine years later as a junior at Bowling Green. Now 32, he says the goal merged two of his biggest passions: travel and college basketball.
Caswell, who often travels to games with his wife, Jaclyn Meyer, says he loves learning about the different traditions each program has—no matter how big or small.
“Traveling around to these games, it’s almost like being let into a special tribe for a single night,” Caswell said. “It’s: ‘Welcome to our tribe. We’ll show you how we do it. We’ll show you our traditions. We’ll show you what’s important to us.’ I love that the majority of Division I toils away outside the spotlight, but N.C. A&T basketball is just as important to the folks that support N.C. A&T as Carolina basketball is at UNC.”
In all, he’s been to 131 different venues, and he lists Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center as his favorite. As for what comes next, the answer is simple: more basketball.
“This feels more like a milestone than a conclusion,” Caswell said. “I’ll still go to more basketball games this season and beyond, only now with a fresh air of confidence with this achievement under my belt.”