The NCAA Men's Basketball tournament is the greatest event in all of sports. I wish they would set the format at 64 teams and have done with it. Clearly they are just interested in the money. In any case, this is a disappointing move by the NCAA. [RQUOTER]NCAA to expand March Madness to 68 teams INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA is on the verge of expanding the men's basketball tournament from 65 to 68 teams beginning next year and has a new, $10.8 billion TV deal that will allow it to show every game live. The NCAA said Thursday that the Division I Men's Basketball Committee unanimously passed the proposal and it will now be reviewed by the Board of Directors on April 29. The NCAA also said it reached a new, 14-year agreement with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. that is worth more than $10.8 billion. The deal, which runs from 2011 through 2024, will show every game live across four national networks for the first time.[/RQUOTER]
Are you kidding? This is wonderful news. It was considered a foregone conclusion for months that it would expand to 96, which would have been for the money and made a mockery of the greatest event in sports. Adding three more play-in games for the 16 seeds - essentially all this is - is relatively inconsequential. Not to mention being able to watch every game on TV. This is a rare day in which common sense won out over money... props to the NCAA. Glad March Madness as is more/less stays.
Well, I like your perspective on this. It is better than what was being talked about until recently. However, you have to know that this is just the camel sticking its nose a little bit further under the tent. First their was one play in game. Now there will be four. Soon there will be more. I read this as a signal that the NCAA is committed to gradually increasing the number of teams over time, rather than doing it all at once. Ultimately, the end result is likely to be the same as their original proposal.
I do agree with that, and it's sad. But with this, it looks like we'll get at least a few more years of the current, superior version - which is much more than I expected. Also, I think it shows the outrage over 96 teams definitely had some impact on their decision making - so that should provide a little hope going forward.
As a Southland Conference fan, I kind of like this. Gives our teams a real opportunity to win a "Tourney Game"...even if it's watered down a bit. 96 teams would have been a joke and would have probably caused fewer people to participate in bracket games, etc. I love the tourney, but that would have been way way way too much...especially as someone who runs a game that is typically in excess of 100 entries.
I agree - I'm thrilled by this. They don't expand very often, so hopefully this delays any potential move to 96 down at least 10 years. I do wish they would make the last 8 wildcards the ones that have to play the play-in games (and then insert them as 12 or 13 seeds) instead of the scrub teams.
I am just loving the fact that every NCAA tourney game is going to be on TV. I am so tired of being able to watch pretty much every Aggie game all year on TV in High Definition and then when the biggest games of the year come (NCAA tourney), I am stuck watching on the computer because I am on the West coast. 68 teams is fine with me, and I am very glad it is not 96.
This is master expectation control job by the NCAA. Make everyone cry about the 96 bracket, and come up with something like this.
