With rumors swirling that the NCAA is on the verge of expanding the NCAA Tournament from a nearly perfect 65 teams to a ridiculous 96 teams, the debate has raged. Media members and fans alike think its an absurd idea while many coaches think it’s great.
I, like so many others, wonder why the powers that be in college basketball want ruin a good thing? Some of the many reasons why increasing the number of teams in the NCAA Tournament is a bad idea:
* Why reward teams for mediocre seasons, like college football’s bowl system does?
* Why devalue the regular season when there are already complaints about its importance?
* It would zap the buzz around the conference tournaments.
* Who wants to fill out that gigantic bracket for their office pool?
And there are plenty more. But we all know the reason why things would change: $$$$$$$$. And it all depends on what the NCAA decides to do with the Tournament’s television contract that could be up for bidding this summer. If you’re not up to speed about the ongoings, check out the SportsBusiness Journal for the best rundown of the posturing.
But if you’re wondering what a 96-team NCAA Tournament would look like this year, you’re in luck. The boys at Rush The Court did a fine job putting together a bracket and a breakdown of all the second-tier teams that would make the Tournament if Selection Sunday were Wednesday. And the results are not pretty.
Ready to have a Tournament that features all 12 ACC teams? Thirteen teams from the Big East, four of which have sub-.500 conference records (Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall and UConn)? William & Mary that has four losses in CAA play? A Louisiana Tech team that has no wins against a Top 50 RPI program and a SOS of 324? Three – THREE?!?! – teams from the abysmal Pac-10?
Yeah, can’t wait to see that. What a joke…
