I don't know anything about "Sports by Brooks" but a sports journalist who I DO in general find to be reliable forwarded this info, so maybe this Web site does have some credibility?
Sources at ESPN and inside the administration at a powerhouse NCAA basketball school told me today that the NCAA basketball tournament going to 96 teams is a “done deal.”
An ESPN source said, “It’s a done deal with the expansion of the tournament. Depending on how soon a (TV) deal is done, the added teams could start next year. The NCAA confirmed that bidders would be interested in 96 teams, so they’re going with it.”
Another ESPN source confirmed to me that the network was in the formative stages of pondering a bid for the expanded tournament.
John Ourand and Michael Smith of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL reported this morning that if the NCAA opts out of its current broadcast rights deal with CBS, the governing body will consider, “expanding from a 65-team tournament to either 68 or 96 teams.”
The NCAA-CBS broadcast rights contract has three years and $2.131 billion remaining. SBJ reports, “the NCAA has until Aug. 31 to exercise its right, though it hopes to conclude the process much earlier.”
BOOOOOO to this move if it does indeed happen. Teams 33 through 65 are largely ornamental at this point anyway, why add anymore?
This is so stupid. There isn't any reason the expand the tournament, IMO, until a 16-seed beats a 1-seed at LEAST once. I guess I could MAYBE buy an argument to expand to 68 teams, so all the 16-seeds would be playing-in, but again, until a 16 beats a 1 there isn't really an argument that too few teams are in the Big Dance.
I look at last year's NIT field and I'm not really impressed with the teams that would be added to an expanded tourney.
Holy fuck shit motherfucker shit. Read comics. Fuck shit shit fuck shit I sold out when I did my job. Fuck fuck fuck shit fuck. Sorry had to do it....
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Plus there's not as much satisfaction in making the tournament so many years in a row now. It's like making a college bowl game five years in a row compared to the 80s.
Plus, 65 teams works out perfect. Everyone plays the same amount of games. 96 teams would have to add an extra round and lots of byes, wouldn't it?
I've heard this floated around and it's a terrible idea. The beauty of the tournament is that it's a lot of games cram packed into a perfect time frame.
One of the best arguments against it that I've heard is that 65 teams garners a lot of casual fan interest do to office pools and bracket fun. 96 teams makes the thing seem cumbersome, and a pain in the ass. I don't watch college ball, but I do watch the tournament, I don't think I can get into a bigger tourney though.
More isn't always better. I don't want longer NFL seasons or longer tournaments. Just look at baseball that kept expanding it's postseason until it ran into full on winter and baseball is the retarded sport that you aren't supposed to copy.
Ladies and gentlemen, the following public service message is brought to you by your friends from D-Generation X, who would like to remind each and every one of you that if you're not down with that, we've got two words for you... There's a reason 96 is being chosen as the number, and that's there are 32 conferences.
1. America East 2. Atlantic 10 3. ACC 4. Atlantic Sun 5. Big 12 6. Big East 7. Big Sky 8. Big South 9. Big Ten 10. Big West 11. Colonial 12. Conference USA 13. Great West 14. Horizon 15. Ivy 16. MAAC 17. Mid-American 18. MEAC 19. Missouri Valley 20. Mountain West 21. Northeast 22. Ohio Valley 23. Pacific-10 24. Patriot League 25. SEC 26. Southern 27. Soutland 28. SWAC 29. Summit League 30. Sun Belt 31. West Coast 32. WAC
Let's say that you have 32 conference champions and each gets a bye into the first-round of the tournament. What's left? 96 - 32 = 64 at-large teams, or 32 once you cut that number in half via a play-in round, leaving you with the 64-team field that we're all used to. Provided you handle this play-in round correctly and that you seed the field only after play-ins are done, the end result is that you give more teams a shot to crack the field from an at-large route without disturbing the opportunities for those in the lesser conferences, while getting to put on more games for an audience that will inevitably watch them and make more money in the process.
It's pretty much a win-win if they're planning it the way I think they are.
smark/net attack Advisory System Status is: Elevated (Holds; June 18, 2006) While the switch from Cena to RVD should alleviate some complaints, the inevitability of the belt's return to Cena (note where Summerslam is this year) and the poor initial showing by the new ECW are enough to keep the indicator where it is for now. The pieces are in place, though, especially on RAW, for improvements to be made to the IWC's psyche in the near future.
Why not just play a season, rank the teams, go through invite tournaments / conference play (for NCAAB, front and back) and let #1 and #2 play at the end
Which is why opponents of a NCAAF playoff system are correct. Once you open it up, there is no stop. March Madness is perfect - even with the screwy "play-in game"; a change will only benefit gambling
DrDirt: And in spite of this there will still be teams that got "robbed."
Yeah. No stop
FLEA
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Originally posted by Texas Kelly... the end result is that you give more teams a shot to crack the field from an at-large route without disturbing the opportunities for those in the lesser conferences, while getting to put on more games for an audience that will inevitably watch them and make more money in the process.
It's pretty much a win-win if they're planning it the way I think they are.
I think I see what you mean, and it's probably good that the small conference champions get into the field of 64.
Though I was initially thinking that those #16-caliber seeds would at least have a shot at a win in the first/play-in round (96 -> 64). If you put this on the Saturday/Sunday afternoons before the three weeks we're used to, I don't think a lot of people would object to this on the last weekend of February. (Pushing things another week into April might not be so hot.)
But February TV with the Super Bowl one weekend, the NBA All-Star game another, NCAA conference tournament championships the third and then two days of NCAA play-ins would work for me.
Originally posted by Psycho PenguinPlus there's not as much satisfaction in making the tournament so many years in a row now. It's like making a college bowl game five years in a row compared to the 80s.
Plus, 65 teams works out perfect. Everyone plays the same amount of games. 96 teams would have to add an extra round and lots of byes, wouldn't it?
There is plenty of disgruntlement from missing the dance though, plenty of disgruntlement.
The current format is great and 96 would be too watery. It wouldn't really help the mid-majors, it would only help mediocre power conference teams with bloated RPIs get in.
It's almost a "rich get richer" scheme in that the top 32 seeds would have a definite advantage through a bye and would therefore seem less likely to be the victims of upsets.
Ninety-six?! Jeez, at this rate why not let every team in, and just not bother having a regular season?
It strikes me as hilarious that they're talking about expanding the NCAA basketball tournament by 32 teams, and yet there's so much adamant opposition to a college football tournament. (And yes, I know the arguments: it'll cut into exam time, cause injuries, etc., etc.)
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Woody Paige says the same thing as you Eke, tongue in cheek of course. Why dont we just let the teams only play their conference schedule, and then just let all 347 teams in and seed them from 1-347 based on their performance? It really is getting ridiculous.
Originally posted by TrunzoWoody Paige says the same thing as you Eke, tongue in cheek of course. Why dont we just let the teams only play their conference schedule, and then just let all 347 teams in and seed them from 1-347 based on their performance? It really is getting ridiculous.
The thing is, that kind of already happens. With the automatic qualifying for the conference tournament winners, the NCAA tournament is basically a 320-team knockout tournament, and when they get to 30 teams they include the Ivy League champ and the 34 best teams that deserve a second-chance to get to the field of 65.
Holy fuck shit motherfucker shit. Read comics. Fuck shit shit fuck shit I sold out when I did my job. Fuck fuck fuck shit fuck. Sorry had to do it....
*snip*
Revenge of the Sith = one thumb up from me. Fuck shit. I want to tittie fuck your ass. -- The Guinness. to Cerebus
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As of today, the Rockets (playing .600 basketball) won't make the Western playoff bracket. In the East, the 24-27 Wizards are the sixth seed. Exactly my point.