Big Ten Conference Announces Future Basketball Scheduling Formats

[OrangeXtreme]

Beginning next season, both the Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament fields will expand to 15 teams (from 14), a format that maintains the five-day schedule of the event, provides access to all teams in contention for postseason invitations, and will maintain a double bye for each of the top four seeds while seeds 5-9 will receive a single bye.

Both the men’s and women’s conference schedules will remain at 20 and 18 contests, respectively, for each school.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Let's see how the ACC handles 18 teams.

 

[sutomcat]

Let's see how the ACC handles 18 teams.

Probably take the bottom 4 to play day one.

The winners join the top 14 to play a standard four day 16 team tourney.

 

[Charbroil]

Probably take the bottom 4 to play day one.

The winners join the top 14 to play a standard four day 16 team tourney.

How are you going to have 8 games played the same day in that round of 16? Unless you have multiple venues for the event.

 

[jncuse]

How are you going to have 8 games played the same day in that round of 16? Unless you have multiple venues for the event.

Good point - I had agreed with Sutomcat on the 18 team format proposed, but this a logistical item I did not consider initially that makes things difficult.

Say this was played in Greensboro. I am sure there is some other small arena in the area which they could book for 3 games on one day. But would that work for TV people?

 

[sutomcat]

How are you going to have 8 games played the same day in that round of 16? Unless you have multiple venues for the event.

That is a good question.

I see articles has been written that speculate the ACC tournament could stretch to 6 days. They don't explain how this might be done but as best I can guess, it would be like this:

Day one

18 vs 15
17 vs 16

Day two

1 vs winner of 18 vs 15
2 vs winner of 17 vs 16
3 vs 14
4 vs 13

Day three

5 vs 12
6 vs 11
7 vs 10
8 vs 9

(bye for winners of day two)

Day four

Winner of game 1 day 2 vs winner of game 4 day 3
Winner of game 2 day 2 vs winner of game 3 day 3
Winner of game 3 day 2 vs winner of game 2 day 3
Winner of game 4 day 2 vs winner of game 1 day 3

Day five

Winner of game 1 day 4 vs winner of game 4 day 4
Winner of game 2 day 4 vs winner of game 3 day 4

Day six

Winner of game 1 day 5 vs winner of game 2 day 5

Three days in a row of 4 games. That is a lot of basketball.

There has also been discussion about not having all ACC teams make the tournament. I don't think it has been decided yet. I don't even see where it has been decided where the 2025 tournament will be held.

 

[Charbroil]

That is a good question.

I see articles has been written that speculate the ACC tournament could stretch to 6 days. They don't explain how this might be done but as best I can guess, it would be like this:

Day one

18 vs 15
17 vs 16

Day two

1 vs winner of 18 vs 15
2 vs winner of 17 vs 16
3 vs 14
4 vs 13

Day three

5 vs 12
6 vs 11
7 vs 10
8 vs 9

(bye for winners of day two)

Day four

Winner of game 1 day 2 vs winner of game 4 day 3
Winner of game 2 day 2 vs winner of game 3 day 3
Winner of game 3 day 2 vs winner of game 2 day 3
Winner of game 4 day 2 vs winner of game 1 day 3

Day five

Winner of game 1 day 4 vs winner of game 4 day 4
Winner of game 2 day 4 vs winner of game 3 day 4

Day six

Winner of game 1 day 5 vs winner of game 2 day 5

Three days in a row of 4 games. That is a lot of basketball.

There has also been discussion about not having all ACC teams make the tournament. I don't think it has been decided yet. I don't even see where it has been decided where the 2025 tournament will be held.

Not bad. I like the idea of giving higher seeded teams a day off as an advantage for having a better conference record. Something like this seems more doable than 2 venues with simultaneous games.

 

[sutomcat]

Not bad. I like the idea of giving higher seeded teams a day off as an advantage for having a better conference record. Something like this seems more doable than 2 venues with simultaneous games.

The other most likely option (I think) is to only invite the top 16 teams in the conference.

Give the top 4 a bye.

Day one

16 vs 9
15 vs 10
14 vs 11
13 vs 12

Day two

Winner of game 1 day 1 vs 8
Winner of game 2 day 1 vs 7
Winner of game 3 day 1 vs 6
Winner of game 4 day 1 vs 5

Day three

Winner of game 1 day 2 vs 1
Winner of game 2 day 2 vs 2
Winner of game 3 day 2 vs 3
Winner of game 4 day 2 vs 4

Day four

Winner of game 1 day three vs winner of game 4 day three
Winner of game 2 day three vs winner of game 3 day three

Day five

Winners from the games from day four

The top 4 seeds get two days of byes.

I think this is like the Big East did in back in the day.

It probably all comes down to TV and what ESPN wants and will pay the most for.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

15 v 18
16 v 17

9 v (16-17)
10 v (15-18)
11 v 14
12 v 13

8 v (9-16)
7 v (10-15)
6 v (11-14)
5 v (12-13)

1 v Somebody
2 v Somebody
3 v Somebody
4 v Somebody

Semis

Finals

 

[longtimefan]

Does the league invite every team, or are some excluded? Collegiality vs. logistics.

The B1G has opted for exclusion.

 

[sutomcat]

Does the league invite every team, or are some excluded? Collegiality vs. logistics.

The B1G has opted for exclusion.

TBD.

 

[FireballPhil]

Half play at Barclay's half play at MSG