NCAA Tournament Expands to 76 teams
- Thread starter ISU3PtLand
- Start date
Apparently the First Four attendance numbers this years were decent and the viewership numbers were up 5%.
So, of course, more of the same = more money
We're just adding water to the half-empty kool-aid jug
So, of course, more of the same = more money
We're just adding water to the half-empty kool-aid jug
This is the hope I cling to, most of the recent issues can be fixed by putting transfer restrictions back in - or some version of contracts. Fans will be much more vested (financially and emotionally) when they know a kid can't bail to a different school without a valid reason after 6 months in town.
San Diego St and New Mexico, one or the other, probably deserved to be in the tournament this season. Otherwise that is quite the pile of underacheiving and mediocre teams. Indiana flamed out harder than anyone down the strech.
This article from CBS doesn't even try to pretend it's not about money. This is the only way for the NCAA to make some additional money.
NCAA to expand March Madness men's and women's college basketball tournaments to 76 teams in 2027
The NCAA Tournament is set to soon get an official major makeover, despite being a widely unpopular idea, sources told CBS Sports
www.cbssports.com
As I mentioned in a previous expansion thread, going to 72 could've been absorbable. Add 2 more at-large at 11 line and move other auto-bids down to make four 16-seed opening round games. Basic symmetry maintained.
I hoped maybe someone halfway intelligent (with any power to have an effect) would have selected that instead of 76.
CBS Sports had a scenario if this season's had been 76, and set it up as maintaining two of the 11's as standalones, with two 11 seed play-ins, four 16 seed openers and two of the four 15 seeds also having play-in. Not sure if that's how NCAA will design it, but if it does, that's a bit messy for my taste (never mind having even weaker at-large qualifiers).
I hoped maybe someone halfway intelligent (with any power to have an effect) would have selected that instead of 76.
CBS Sports had a scenario if this season's had been 76, and set it up as maintaining two of the 11's as standalones, with two 11 seed play-ins, four 16 seed openers and two of the four 15 seeds also having play-in. Not sure if that's how NCAA will design it, but if it does, that's a bit messy for my taste (never mind having even weaker at-large qualifiers).
I'm in my mid 40's and feel like this constantly. Now I understand adults who said that when I was a kid and thought they were crazy.
It's always been my contention that any automatic qualifier should not play until the round of 64. Adding teams strengthens my resolve on this opinion.
Just go to 96. Give every regular season and tournament champ entry into the field. You win both? You get an automatic bye to the round of 64. So there is less chance of hanky panky in a reg season champion throwing a conf tournament game. So if the SWAC has the same reg season and tourney title winner they are likely the #32 seed. This year I believe that about 15/16 doubled up so the top 16 or so teams who didn't win both would still get a bye.
Just go to 96. Give every regular season and tournament champ entry into the field. You win both? You get an automatic bye to the round of 64. So there is less chance of hanky panky in a reg season champion throwing a conf tournament game. So if the SWAC has the same reg season and tourney title winner they are likely the #32 seed. This year I believe that about 15/16 doubled up so the top 16 or so teams who didn't win both would still get a bye.
The move to 76 teams was by design.... they wanted the entire B1G and SEC to get in. It's all about the $.
What they aren't talking about is that even more teams that would have been in the tournament before will now have to play in. Several years ago it was 64 teams in. Up through last year there were 60 teams in with 8 teams playing in. Now that number is down to 52 in with 24 having to play in.
This is immeasurably dumb.
This is immeasurably dumb.
Fine, we add 8 more teams.
But please make it 4 spots for Power5 teams.
The other 4 should be go to the mid-majors
Take all the 1st & 2nd place teams (that didn't win their conf tourney).
Power rank them, to see the last 4 Dancing teams!
But please make it 4 spots for Power5 teams.
The other 4 should be go to the mid-majors
Take all the 1st & 2nd place teams (that didn't win their conf tourney).
Power rank them, to see the last 4 Dancing teams!
As soon as they figured out 7.5 million people will watch a ***** First Four game you knew this was coming.
So, they had a fit for a couple of years they expanded to 68 and called those early games the first round, before rebranding as the First Four to eliminate confusion. What they hell are they going to call it now? The Play-in round like the NBA?
And won't anybody think of the Bracket Challenges? Probably going to make picking those Debut Dozen mandatory now. /s
And won't anybody think of the Bracket Challenges? Probably going to make picking those Debut Dozen mandatory now. /s
I would have rather had the final four games move to best of 3 series for those 3 games, if they wanted more broadcast money. Those games would be way more meaningful and draw far more views than adding 8 additional bottom teams.
KidSilverhair
Well-Known Member
Well, you’ll be disappointed by this line in the article:
“The primary driver of this move hasn’t been money, but rather access for at-large bids for power conferences. The expansion has been pushed by power conferences”
Similarly, money wasn’t the reason I asked for a raise at work… I just need to fix my boat.
Turner/CBS actually don't want to pay that much more for the extra games and expansion to 76 was in some jeopardy to cover the NCAA's additional expenses of another venue for the additional games.This article from CBS doesn't even try to pretend it's not about money. This is the only way for the NCAA to make some additional money.
NCAA to expand March Madness men's and women's college basketball tournaments to 76 teams in 2027
The NCAA Tournament is set to soon get an official major makeover, despite being a widely unpopular idea, sources told CBS Sports
Based on what I read, the NCAA is now going to allow beer/alcohol sponsorships for the tournament to cover those additional expenses.
