A lot of people say this, and then the ratings come out. Maybe we eventually hit the breaking point, but it hasn’t happened yet
NCAA Tournament likely to expand
- Thread starter awd4cy
- Start date
It's not the NCAA that does this - they insist on calling it "opening round" games between teams that are fully fledged in the NCAA tournament. It's the media and everyone else with a brain that classifies it as "play-in games" because 64 is such an obvious number for a tournament, while 68 doesn't make a lick of sense in the world unless it's teams playing their way into 64.
Essentially every team is already in the tournament-they just have to win their conference tournament to get in.
Well, I guess I do not have a brain
, as I accept the teams that play in the First Four as NCAA Tournament Teams, because they are. It counts as an NCAA Tournament appearance and the W and L count towards their all-time NCAA Tournament records. This is especially important for the AQ teams who have to play in it (unfairly IMO). They are AQ teams, so they are firmly in the field already (64 or 68).For the Play-In-Crowd, they should look at it like 60 teams receive a bye just like when there was a Field of 48 with the Top 16 seeds getting a Bye and the other 32 teams playing an extra game to determine who the top 16 teams played. The make up is different, but it is no different than a Conference Tournament with byes.
As for where we are now, if we had three additional First Four sites and spread them out to all four regions, it might dilute the quality of at-large teams, but it would make more sense with the 16 teams in the First Four E, W, MW and S. Still in the Tournament but it would mean a more even distribution. If they want to have four regional First Fours with ONLY at-large teams and designate them as "Play-IN-Games" and not count them as an NCAA Tournament appearance, that is fine. However, that is not the reality now - even for people like me without a brain. / sarcasm
I've been to the First Four in Dayton (5 times) + the singular Opening Round Game (1 time) before that, and it is a fun night of NCAA Tournament Basketball! Bought NCAA Tournament T-shirts and programs from them too!
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You mean like the suckeyes…regardless of the lil winning streak in the tournament this year, they really probably shouldn’t have been in.
So would you have set designated First Four sites, not necessarily locked to specific region, but just equally distributed/balanced and somewhat in regional arrangement?
Such as:
Dayton (since we use it already)
Kansas City
Somewhere southerly
Some city westerly
I’m guessing they’re going to add another site out to help with those logistics.
Rumor is 4 games each day in Dayton and Vegas.
Just an absolute slap in the face to the 16s that are going to have to play 10 AM local time games on Tuesday in Vegas.
We talk about the regular season being diluted with this. How about for the lower leagues where you have to win your conference tournament to get in? Or in the case of Miami, OH, an unbeaten regular season and being ranked gets you a play-in game. That sucks. I would be somewhat in favor of this if a great majority of the extra bids goes to mid majors.
It almost happened when they went to 68 back in 2011.
Great PTFO episode with former ESPN CEO John Skipper.
It will be 3 games at both venues on both TUES & WED (12 games total)
I agree that Vegas is the likely 2nd venue.
And any talk by others about financial benefit for the NCAA is nonsense. They will be lucky to get enough money from CBS/Turner to cover the millions in additional operating expenses for the 2nd First Four venue and costs to transport/house the extra teams.
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I don't feel the need to grow the tournament, but if the do, why not bracket same as Conference Tournaments.
Make it an 80 team Tournament.
Make it an 80 team Tournament.
- Top 48 teams get a first round bye.
- Teams 49-80 play in round 1.
- Round 1 games played at the 8 regional sites. Get rid of Dayton, make travel easier for fans.
- Schedule: W/Th/Sa or Th/F/Su
Yes, I would. I would love for DSM to be a permanent site. It would probably draw better than Kansas City IMO. I'd go every year. People in Dayton love it and consider a civic duty to go to the games every year regardless of who plays. I've been to 5 First Fours, and they were all well attended.
This probably won't happen, but this idea from Lunardi would improve an expansion.
www.espn.com
Lunardi: Want Cinderella back? Set an NCAA tournament eligibility floor
The blame for Cinderella's demise is misplaced. Here's why we haven't seen her -- and how we can get her back.
Total agreement.
It baffles me how expansion gets pushed almost every year, and a majority of sports media/analysts and fans are against it.
As mentioned, coaches occasionally back it, but usually they're at programs with erratic or fringe performance, or believe they got gipped in a specific season.
