No matter how much people (cough: ESPN) over-hype the trials and tribulations of Duke's Cameron Crazies, the bottom line is that the Crazies comprise one of, if not the, most loyal fan sections in all of sports, and their devotion to good-natured fun is a consistent force for good in college hoops.

Duke might get more than its fair share of press. Fan sections like Illinois's Orange Krush might feel neglected. (The Krush actually have to fundraise to be able to sit close to the floor at Assembly Hall, which may or may not be more arduous than drinking in a tent for three days. I'd choose the tent.) But the bottom line is that the Crazies have earned their reputation and the home court advantage that comes along with it, like it or not.

Duke understands this fully, which is why this decision is not exactly surprising: The school's athletic department has decided to seat its graduate students in the lower areas of Cameron Indoor Stadium, just behind the baskets at each end of the court.

This is the sort of thing that could spark a minor controversy anywhere else. Boosters used to sit in those seats, and the big money types who help support Duke hoops probably aren't thrilled about giving up another prime section of courtside real estate. Plus, they're just graduate students! They barely even count!

But this is a good idea for obvious reasons: It rewards grad students, many of whom are as intense about Duke basketball as their undergrad brethren. )Though I can't imagine how they fit it into their schedules; undergrad is easy, but aren't grad students supposed to be really busy?) It also helps with atmosphere. No one needs the stodgy old folks sitting behind the hoops. You need the clever and spry youth, the kind that use their considerable non-scholastic brain power to devise ingenious ways of distracting the opposing free throw shooter. Duke might be trading out a little money for these seats, but it's the right call.

It's remarkable how easy this is, and yet how infrequently it's followed in other college hoops arenas. Indiana is a prime example. Personal anecdote: In my tenure there (2003-2007), Indiana students cried out for an organized seating arrangement at Assembly Hall. (Some students are on the floor behind the hoops, some are on the side in the corner, and the rest are in the craned-neck balconies.) But to no avail. The best seats in the house are right down next to the court. They'd be perfect for a Duke-esque student section. But there's so much old Indiana money flowing through those seats, so many waiting lists and so much clout, that there's literally no chance of the students seizing them, no chance of creating a better atmosphere. (To its credit, Indiana tickets a huge number of students, even though this creates seating issues of its own. Frankly, it's a mess.)

The point of which is that even though Duke is doing the right thing for its students and basketball program, it's not the easy thing at all. It's a sacrifice. But other schools would do well to consider the same. And Duke students should appreciate the joys of Cameron Indoor while they can. It's a rare gem, that place. You guys are lucky to have it.

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