http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2500025 Sorry am not real good at the whole linking articles thing. Basically a lot of NCAA coaches want to expand the tourney to double the size, one of the rationales is that post season appearances save coaches jobs. I can't think of anything that would ruin college basketball more effectively than that. And my favorite team (UH) has been on the bubble and not danced two out of the last 3 years. What is the meaning of going to the dance if every team with a pulse is going. Heck if you did that and didn't do away with the NIT pretty much every Div I program in the country would be in the post season. Coaches want to save their jobs, try winning once in a while, not just lowering the bar again and again.
Those are gonna be some big old brackets to fill out come March Madness if that happens...which im thinking won't.
Erm. Expanding the field only requires adding one extra game. I think it's a stupid idea, but logistically it wouldn't change the tournament itself that much.
ONE GAME... you'd be able to squeeze that into only a few arenas? Or will they all play in a couple of days or an entire week?
Well you'd probably have to double the number of sites for the first week, and have the round of 128 run on Tuesday/Wednesday, 64 on Thursday/Friday, and 32 on Saturday/Sunday. Like I said the actual tournament itself wouldn't be that greatly affected. It's all the stuff that goes into the tournament that would be a difficult transition, i.e. television, brackets etc.
Post season appearances save coaching jobs? Come on! Survival of the fittest, let them get weeded out if they cant hack it. If a few quality guys get fired they can find a new job. Dont ruin one of the most entertaining sporting events in America because a few guys MIGHT lose a job. Us over them anyday of the week. Because of US there is a THEM.
I think doubling it would be silly, and I'm fine with the size as it is now. However, if they are set on expanding it, I hope they just go the route of adding a few more play-in games. For example, if they expanded the tourney to 72 teams, they could have 2 play-in games in each bracket with the two play in teams moving on to face the #1 and #2 seeds in that particular region. In that situation, they might need 4 play in sites (Dayton, OH and 3 more) unless they configure it to where they get 4 games in at Dayton and 4 at one other site with minimal travel to the next game. This field of 72 would open it up for 7 more at-large teams, which I think might still be too much but would definitely give a few more bubble teams the shot they think they deserve. Also, maybe some more mid majors would sneak in and prove their worth, just like George Mason this year. Also, it would still provide a balanced field with the 1 and 2 seed in EVERY region going up against a play-in game team. I do wish those spots went to at large teams, rather than teams that auto qualified via their conference tournaments or reg. season championships (like the Ivy League.) But with as much parity as their is nowadays, who knows if the number one team in the MEAC or Patriot League is any better or worse than the #6 team in the SEC or Big Twelve. Anyway, just my "compromise" of a solution, if my vote counted.
I like the idea, play-in games are fun, I went to watch Monmouth and Hampton last year at the arena. It was awesome, there were like over 7,000 in attendance for it. It was hilarious watching Monmouths 7 footer suck and miss layups, everyone in the crowd was cheering him on to dunk, finally dunked when no one was on him on a fast break.
if i was to have more teams in it, i would have two play in games like mentioned above. Except that instead of the winners of play-in games facing the #1 and #2, Maybe one play-in game winner will get the 16 seed, usually from a small conference, and the other play-in game would be teams from major conferences, who are bubble teams, but actually have a chance to do something in the tournement. Basically, a play in game for a 10 or 11 seed.
Please no. Getting into the tournament is still a big deal. I hope they don't turn it into the college football bowl season where it's not even an accomplishment anymore to get to a game.
