When Duke announced a groundbreaking partnership with Amazon Prime Video to broadcast three high-profile non-conference games against UConn, Michigan, and Gonzaga, the college basketball world took notice. But for Marquette fans, the news hit a little differently.

The deal, which gives Duke's players a significant NIL advantage through the Amazon platform, raised an immediate question: What about the opposing players? But for those following Marquette's trajectory, the more pressing thought was simpler and more painful: That could have been us.

Let's rewind to March 2024. Shaka Smart's Golden Eagles were flying high, earning their second consecutive No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament—the best seeding in program history since the modern bracket format began. By November 2024, Marquette had cracked the top 10 of the AP poll, and they stayed there for eight straight weeks. When February 2025 rolled around, they sat at 18-3 overall and 9-1 in Big East play, boasting a staggering 74-20 record over the previous two-plus seasons.

With that kind of sustained success, it wasn't a stretch to imagine Marquette getting a call from Duke and Amazon. Maybe not as the sole Big East partner—UConn's dynasty credentials are hard to ignore—but certainly as a program that belonged in the conversation. A .787 overall winning percentage and a .750 mark in Big East play puts you on the shortlist when elite programs are looking to boost their non-conference profile.

Then came the fall. Since that February 2025 peak, Marquette has gone 17-28. When you fumble away that kind momentum and goodwill, you don't make the cut for exclusive partnerships. It's a harsh reality, but one that's painfully obvious to every fan who watched the Golden Eagles soar, then stumble.

That alone might not have been worth writing about—every Marquette supporter already knows the story. But then CBS Sports' Gary Parrish offered a perspective that made the whole situation worth revisiting. Sometimes it takes an outside voice to remind you of what could have been, and what still might be if the Golden Eagles can rediscover their winning ways.